Image Source: The Economic Times
In a path-breaking effort to bring India's electoral environment into the modern era, the Election Commission of India (ECI) is to roll out ECINET-an overarching digital portal meant to converge and streamline all election services to the nearly billion voters and tens of millions of poll officials. The project, conceptualized by Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, intends to bring more than 40 currently available mobile and web-based applications into a single, user-friendly interface, representing a big jump in digital governance in the country.
One Platform, All Services:
ECINET will consolidate popular applications like Voter Helpline, Voter Turnout, cVIGIL, Suvidha 2.0, ESMS, Saksham, and KYC App that have cumulatively registered over 5.5 crore downloads. By consolidating on one platform, multiple app downloads and logins will be avoided, significantly streamlining the user experience for voters, electoral authorities, political parties, and civil society.
Massive Reach and Impact:
The platform is likely to cater to nearly 100 crore electors, more than 10.5 lakh Booth Level Officers (BLOs), nearly 15 lakh Booth Level Agents (BLAs), almost 45 lakh polling officials, 15,597 Assistant Electoral Registration Officers (AEROs), 4,123 Electoral Registration Officers (EROs), and 767 District Election Officers (DEOs) in India.
Improved User Experience and Security:
ECINET is being designed keeping in mind uninterrupted user experience (UX), sound cybersecurity, and strict compliance with the legal framework provided by the Representation of People Acts and electoral regulations. Intensive trials and consultations with 36 Chief Electoral Officers, 767 DEOs, and 4,123 EROs are being conducted to provide trouble-free functionality and data security.
Consultative and Data-Driven Development
The design of the platform is informed by extensive stakeholder feedback and review of 76 ECI publications totaling 9,000 pages. This guarantees that ECINET responds to actual issues voters and election administrators encounter in the real world.
Legal Compliance and Transparency:
All information and services offered through ECINET will comply strictly with the Representation of People Act, Registration of Electoral Rules, and Conduct of Election Rules, guaranteeing transparency and legal compliance.
Revolutionizing Electoral Service Delivery:
ECINET is set to transform the way electoral services are provided in India, making it more convenient, accessible, and efficient for everyone. By centralizing the service, the ECI hopes to increase trust, transparency, and participation in the largest democracy in the world.
"ECINET is likely to benefit almost 100 crore electors and the whole of electoral machinery… It is set to revolutionize electoral service delivery, bringing convenience and efficiency for everyone," the ECI said.
With ECINET in the final stages of launch following intensive development and testing, India's election process is poised for a digital makeover that will ensure elections become more accessible, transparent, and secure than ever before.
Source: Economic Times, Business Standard, The Tribune, The Week, Economic Times Government, ANI News
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