NEW DELHI – The Election Commission of India has refused to disclose technical details regarding the software deployed to identify errors in voter lists during its Special Intensive Revision drive, citing intellectual property rights.
Responding to a Right to Information query, the polling body declined to reveal the name or version of the software invoking Section 8(1)(d) of the RTI Act, which exempts trade secrets and commercial confidence from public disclosure. The commission stated that no new software was developed or purchased specifically for the revision drive.
The electoral authority also left unresolved queries on whether artificial intelligence, machine learning, or predictive analytics were utilized to inspect voter rolls. Responding to questions on potential automated name deletions, the commission noted under Section 2(f) and Section 8(1)(g) of the RTI Act that decision making remains strictly in human hands. Under Sections 13B(1) and 13B(2) of the Representation of the People Act, 1950, Electoral Registration Officers carry sole statutory responsibility for preparing and updating voter lists based on facts and records.
The technological opacity coincides with internal governance friction within the commission. Documents obtained by transparency activist Lokesh Batra revealed that Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi wrote separate letters on July 29 to Cabinet Secretary T.V. Somanathan expressing concerns over the conduct of Deputy Election Commissioner Maneesh Garg.
The two commissioners objected to an internal work allocation order issued without commission approval. Cabinet Secretariat records indicated that because the complaints were submitted individually rather than as a formal collective resolution from the full commission, executive action was deferred to avoid interfering in an independent constitutional body’s internal affairs. The Secretariat subsequently forwarded the letters to Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar’s office and the Department of Personnel and Training for record.
