eGovWatch: Aadhaar database to be embedded with that of EPIC by 2016

The Election Commission has initiated an ambitious plan to “embed” and synchronise the Aadhaar database with that of the Electoral Photo ID Card (EPIC) to minimise complaints of duplication or forgery of the electoral rolls.

Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) H S Brahma said the poll panel has already started the process in this regard with the Aadhaar’s parent body UIDAI and it expected that this task would be achieved by early 2016. “We have decided to embed the Aadhaar data on our platform of the EPIC. The EPIC is given to every eligible voter of the country. Once we are able to do this, we will have a 100 per cent purity of the (electoral) rolls.

“Once these two data come together there will be correct name, biometrics and address of an individual. The day we do that, 99 per cent of complaints of political parties and candidates about electoral rolls will disappear. This should be done within the next 8-9 months or early 2016,” he said.

The Aadhaar database captures all essential biometrics and other vital details of an individual. The CEC, while talking about participation of the citizens during elections, urged voters to enthusiastically go to the polling booth to vote in every election, including the forthcoming Assembly polls in Delhi on February 7.

He said voting is a “moral responsibility” on the part of the voters. Brahma said out of a total 84 crore voters in the country, only 55 crore vote while the rest, about 30 crore, do not vote at a given time due to various reasons like accidental or deliberate absentism. “It is everyone’s moral duty and ethical responsibility to vote. The role of political parties is to elect a good leader and the role of voters is important. If you choose a good candidate or leader he will work for all of us,” he said.

“If you do not vote it is your problem. The government decides our lives, electricity, roads, among other things. All depends on the government. If the government is not selected responsibly, we are to blame,” Brahma said. During the event, organised to enhance voter participation in the country, former President A P J Abdul Kalam also underlined the importance of choosing good leaders.

He asked political parties to undertake more of “developmental” politics and less of “political” politics. “70 per cent of the time political parties and their leaders should undertake development politics while the rest 30 per cent of time they should do political politics. Unfortunately, it is the reverse what we see,” he said. Kalam also endorsed the CEC’s futuristic vision of elections in the country which will be powered and enabled by the Internet where voters can check the full details about their electoral logistics on the web. “Bringing these systems on the Internet is no longer a dream and technical interface will ensure larger participation of voters,” he said.