Supreme Court Considers Biometric Voting to Eliminate Electoral Fraud

In a landmark move, the Supreme Court has asked the Election Commission and government to respond to a PIL advocating for the implementation of biometric voting systems. This initiative, proposed by Ashwini Upadhyay, focuses on curbing electoral malpractices and enhancing election integrity through fingerprint and iris-based systems.

In a significant development on Monday, the Supreme Court issued a notice to the Election Commission of India (ECI) as well as the Centre and states. The notice addresses a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) that seeks to mandate the use of biometric systems, specifically finger and iris identification, at polling stations to curb electoral malpractices like duplicate and ghost voting.

The judicial bench, comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi, is requesting responses from the ECI and government on the feasibility of this proposal. The court highlighted that adopting such a system would demand a change in existing rules and impose a financial burden. Additionally, it clarified that this system could not be applied in upcoming elections but requires consideration for future polls.

Filed by advocate and social activist Ashwini Kumar Upadhyay, the petition underlines the persistent issues of bribery and duplicate voting. It emphasizes that biometric authentication can offer non-duplicable validation, thus securing the electoral process. The move aims to ensure genuine voter participation by aligning with the principle of 'one citizen, one vote.'

(With inputs from agencies.)