11

Challenges in Challenges in

Management of e. rolls in TNManagement of e. rolls in TN

Presentation in Symposium at Bangalore

-12th May 2010

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“ I don’t have any solution, but I

certainly admire the problem.”

- Ashleigh Brilliant

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Popln & Electorate [in ’000]

Year Population Electorate % Remarks

2001 62406 47479 76.08 Electorate/ Popln. ratio very high

2002 62989 49345 78.34

2003 63552 49268 77.52

2004 64096 47107 73.49 Redn. due to deletions without proper FV

2005 64623 46346 72.03 Intensive revision (with house to house enumeration) in 39 ACs coupled with house to house verification in 195 ACs during which nearly 23.75 lakh entries were found unidentifiable on ground with reference to name/ address

2006 65135 46362 71.18 100% FV conducted before draft publn. of e. roll for SR 2006

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Field-Verification in 2005

During 2005, during 2005 SR, nearly 23.75 lakh

electors’ entries were unidentifiable with reference to

names or/ address in the e. rolls

These were taken to a separate section styled as

‘999’ (at the end of each Part), list communicated to

political parties, RWAs/ Grama Sabhas, displayed

on notice-board and field-verification done by postal

staff/ revenue/ local bodies’ staff

Deletions were reflected in the supplementary e. roll

published on 15th Sep 2005

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Data health check-up & Internal Audit Before SR 2006, ECI did a data health check-up of

entire e.rolls database for 5 days in Sep 2005

covering omissions in entries, electors below 18,

above 100 years of age, more than 10 persons in a

house, duplicate EPIC nos., etc.

Separately, ECI ordered an internal audit of quality of

e. rolls by check up in Part 5 for all ACs of surplus &

missing names, house nos. missing, errors in

elector’s entries incl. name & EPIC no., missing EPIC

nos. etc.

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100% FV before SR 2006

Having regard to the outcome of data health check-

up and internal audit of quality of e. rolls, 100% FV

was undertaken in TN before publn. of the draft roll

for SR 2006

For this purpose, printout of e. roll in landscape

format was generated & given to field staff

Also, list of possible multiple entry cases taking

common entries in 5/6 fields (6th being EPIC no.) & also

that based on fuzzy logic was generated & printed

for FV along with the above e. roll Check List

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Results of 100% FV before SR 2006

Deletions carried out:

Shifted 10.86 lakhs

Dead 3.15 lakhs

Multiple Entries

During 2005 Revn. 1.93 lakhs

During Continuous Revn. 0.92 lakh

Fuzzy Logic 0.39 lakh

NBW cases 907

Total 17.27 lakhs

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Preparation of Photo-Rolls & associated FV

Photo e. rolls prepn. was taken up for all the 234 ACs soon after elections to TNLA 2006 and it was proposed to publish photo-rolls so prepared as the draft rolls for the SR 2007

In view of the bye-elections to Madurai Central AC, prepn. of photo e. rolls was taken up in that AC on a fast track mode and the final photo rolls were published on 5th Sep 2006

Total no. of electors in the e. rolls was approximately 4.66 crores. However, there was a large number of surplus names (dead/shifted).

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Prepn. of Photo-Rolls- Check List 1

Photo e. rolls were printed initially (Check-List 1) by linking available images in CDs/ scanned images from miniature sheets with e. rolls data base

List of missing images, ie., where EPIC nos. were available but images were not there, was printed

Cases of duplicate EPIC numbers were marked in Check List-1

During house-to-house verification, passport size colour photographs were obtained from electors (including cases where quality of images was poor) and scanned

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Prepn. of Photo-Rolls- Check List 2

Based on the initial verification with Check List-1 and data entry, Check List-2 was printed

Additional images/ missing images were captured by (i) collecting and scanning passport size photographs, (ii) digital image capture at DPLs (in a few places) and /or (iii) digital image capture in house to house visit by staff accompanying the digital photographer of the vendor along with Check List –2 verification

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Prepn. of Photo-Rolls- Check List 3

Based on images captured, Check List-3 was printed

for correction cases and all those left out and mop-

up round of image capture was done for all residual

cases after deletion of dead/ shifted electors

Thus, apart from image-capture of all residual

electors [no. diminishing with each successive

round], e. roll was also sought to be set right

simultaneously by eliminating surplus names, errors

in images and tackling duplicate EPIC no. cases]

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Prepn. of Photo-Rolls- Check List 4

As Check List 3 was to culminate in the prepn. of photo e. rolls to be published as draft rolls for the SR 2007 and mismatch of images would have invited criticism, it was necessary to generate and print Check-List 4 and to compare it as a Table Verification exercise with Check Lists 1, 2 & 3 in the office of DEO/EROs before the printing and publn. of the draft photo e. roll.

Finally, the rolls were published as draft photo e. rolls for the process of next summary revision of electoral rolls

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Scanning, merger; PDF & ptg. of draft photo rolls (draft rolls for next revn.)

Collection of Passport size Photos/ capture of digital images through house to house visits (taking check List 3)- mop up round

Corrections, PDF & Printing of Photo-rolls (Check List 3)

DPLs/ collection of Passport size photos/ house to house visit to capture images (with Check List 2)

Corrections, PDF & Printing of Photo-rolls (Check List 2)

Verification by Officials house to house (Check List 1) + colln. of Photos

Scanning of photos & merger with electors data

PDF & printing of Photo –rolls (Check List 1)

Merger of images with electors’ data

PDF generation and printing of Check List 4 for comparison with Check Lists 1, 2 & 3 (before printing of draft photo rolls) as a Table Verification exercise.

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Steep redn. in electorate after photo e. rolls

According to the final (photo) e. rolls

published for SR 2007 in Aug-Sep 2007, the

electorate size came down to 3,90,87,939 as a

result of deletion of surplus names identified

during FV

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Field Verification- a continuing exercise

Again in 2008, following Delimitation, a spl.

mid-year SR was conducted with draft publn.

In July 2008 and with 100% FV for

identification of missing names (being noted

in Check List ‘A’) & surplus names (in List

‘B’) in Aug.

After publn. of final roll in Oct. 2008, SR 2009

was taken up and after final publn.,

electorate size became 4,13,80,143

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FV through Check Lists

Thus there has been a continuous endeavour from 2005 to set right the e. rolls through field staff [BLOs] carrying out 100% FV (house to house visits) using multi-purpose ‘Check Lists’ generated & printed from e.rolls (incl. EPICs) database

[1st 8 cols. as in e. roll, 9th col. for image & with addl. cols. for the BLOs to fill in and obtain signature of the family-member inquired, record recommendation, give a certificate on the top page]

[Latest] exercise carried out in 2009-10 [from Nov.

2009] has been very fruitful in terms of no. of names identified for inclusion

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Gap in enrolment

Comparison of age-cohort wise electorate data with

projected population for comparable age-cohorts

indicates gaps in enrolment only in the lowest age-

cohorts [18-19, 19-24 and nominally in 25-29]; it

vanishes for the higher age-cohorts

This is logical as the youth will be more concerned

about studies and employment than voting

Further, shifting is more likely in this category [on

getting job, on marriage etc.]

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Election Complaints Monitoring System [ECMS]

Web-based ECMS designed for monitoring complaints relating to election matters

Though styled as ECMS, it is, at least during off-election pd., serving as a channel for redressal of grievances mainly relating to e. rolls & EPIC

Details pertaining to the complaints recd. in CEO’s Office are entered in a web-based system- lr. to DEOs generated based on these details & sent to them with the petition

DEOs in turn have to enter the action taken on this web-site and status report is generated periodically in CEO’s Office for review with election staff

1919

Electoral Rolls- Updation Electoral Rolls- Updation in 2009-2010in 2009-2010

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100% Field Verification for 100% Field Verification for

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Limitations of Annual Revn. of e. rolls

It is seen that in the annual exercise of Summary Revn. of e. rolls, lot of eligible persons get left out as they would not know the Form in which they have to apply, from where they have to get the Form and where they have to apply

Cases of corrections, mismatch of images are generally not attended to at all in the (annual) Summary Revn.

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Continuous Updation

Electoral Registration System in India is

essentially in the nature of continuous

updation

During continuous updation, every appln.

for inclusion, deletion, transposition and

correction is under Section 22 or 23 of ROP

Act 1950 read with Rule 26 of Registration

of Electoral Rules 1960

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BLOs’ functions

Fidelity of e. roll is an essential pre-requisite for a

free and fair poll

When the Election Commission mandated the

establishment of the system of Booth Level

Officers (BLOs) [lr. of Commission dated

09.08.2006], it was clearly set out that the functions

of the BLO include inter-alia identification of

missing and surplus names in the area (Part or

Parts) assigned to him and for this purpose he is

supposed to make field visits periodically

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AC-level EPIC Centres have a role in continuous updation

EPIC centres [rechristened recently as

e. roll management & EPIC centres]

which have been set up in TN at 1

per AC have also to deal with claims

for inclusion etc., as part of

continuous updation

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Complaints of omission of names

During the elections to Lok Sabha,

2009, there were complaints of

omission/ deletion recd. in the CEO’s

office from the people that their

names had been deleted from e. roll

even though they possessed EPIC and

continued to reside in the same place

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Migration from MS Access to SQL Server

Separately, migration of e.rolls database from MS Access to SQL Server & revised table structure mandated by the Election Commn. in Feb. 2008 was taken up

One of the features is that the Tamil and English data has been brought together in a single database

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Table Verification of e. rolls

With the completion of migration of e. rolls database from MS Access to SQL Server, the migrated records had to be compared with the source records (mother roll & 2 supplementaries) after printing of the e. roll through s/w sent separately

Corrections, if any, should be carried out straightaway, as a table exercise (TV)

However, certain errors like those in spellings of name of elector or relation in Eng. could be corrected only after enquiry in the house necessitating 100% Field Verification (FV)

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100% Field Verification (FV)

In the light of the above position, 100% FV was

taken up to identify missing & surplus names

and along with that the cases of transposition

and correction of entries/ images adopting a

pro-active approach

Accordingly, a Check List- List ‘A’ was

generated from the e. rolls database in the

DEOs’ offices through s/w communicated from

CEO’s office

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BLOs to carry out 100% FV

Columns (1) to (9) were pre-generated from e. rolls

database (including image) and other columns were

to be filled in by BLO after FV

BLOs had to carry out 100% FV and indicate in

Check List ‘A’ corrections required and in List ‘B’ the

inclusions/ transpositions to be made in the e. roll

For List ‘B’, blank forms were got printed locally

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Stickers

Self adhesive stickers with the tri-colour logo

of Election Commn. were printed locally in

white paper of 2” x 2” size and given to the

BLOs for pasting near the door of the house

after enumeration as evidence for having

covered the house during 100% FV in

2009/10

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Generation of Forms in EPIC Centres

Inf. in Lists ‘A’ & ‘B’ was used in AC-level EPIC

centres to generate and print Forms 6/8A & 8 which

have to be then be got signed by applicants &

documentary evidence collected regarding age/

residence with photo, wherever required

In the case of missing names, Form 6 was generated

based on List ‘B’, i.e., for those who have attained

the age of 18 years as on first of January 2009 and

who are ‘ordinarily’ resident of the area

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Generation of Forms in EPIC Centres….

In the case of those who have shifted within the AC

and, therefore, necessitating transposition of names

(within the same AC), Form 8A was generated/

printed and for corrections to be made in the e. rolls,

Form 8 was generated/ printed

Arrangements for addl. Systems & Operators were

made (by hiring/ re-deployment from DEO’s Office or

carrying out the work in DEO’s Office for ACs nearer

distt. hdqrs.)

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Supervisory checks

Supervisory checks by RIs/ Dy. Tahs./

Tahsildars and Dy. Collectors (by

corresponding officers in urban areas) in

each Part were put in place to ensure that the

corrections/ transpositions/ inclusions

proposed by the BLOs are correct

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Scheme of Checks

BLO- 100% Verification

Level next above BLO- 25%

Level next – 5%

AERO- 1%

ERO/ DEO- Randomly

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3434

Training of Master Trainers & BLOsTraining of Master Trainers & BLOs

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Training

Proper trg. of BLOs is critical for the success of the exercise

Master Trainers (Dy. Collrs., Tahs./ Deputy Tahs.) were identified first who were to be trained by the DEOs/ DROs

PPt presentation was initially prepared & later an AV Presentation for training of BLOs prepared commissioning a multi-media agency

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Exercise to be taken seriously

If 100% FV exercise is taken seriously and

follow-up monitored properly, then the

receipt of applns. would be correspondingly

less in the ensuing Summary Revn. 2010 as

all the missing names would have been

identified and listed in Format ‘B’, during

the exercise, details entered in AC-level

EPIC centres and Forms 6/8A generated/

printed for authentication by the applicants

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Updation of list of e. roll Revn. staff

List of BLOs, AEROs, EROs which was furnished by the DEOs in 2008/ 2009 was updated

Address, contact nos. with respective jurisdiction of all roll revision related officials (including BLOs) were incorporated (in Excel worksheet) and sent by DEOs by e-mail for hosting in CEO’s website for the convenience of general public

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Results of 100% FV

No. of cases identified for inclusion = 46.98 lakhs

No. of cases identified as shifted = 16.93 lakhs

No. of cases for correction of entries= 9.28 lakhs

No. of cases for correction of images= 2.29 lakhs

Also, BLOs are to collect photos for all residual

electors based on Check List ‘A’ with the objective

of achieving 100% coverage in EPIC & PER

4040

Common Service CentresCommon Service Centres

[CSCs][CSCs]

for e. roll updation & for e. roll updation &

capture of imagescapture of images

- - 11stst ‘G2C’ or ‘ECI2C’ Service ‘G2C’ or ‘ECI2C’ Service

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CSCs for delivery of services

GOI [Ministry of IT] has envisioned CSCs as front-end delivery points for services to rural citizens in an integrated manner

CSCs have been designed as ICT-enabled kiosks having a PC/ laptop with basic support equipment like printer, scanner, UPS, digital camera, connectivity as the backbone & addl. equipment for various purposes

CSC is indicated as a one-stop solution through e-kiosks managed by Village Level Entrepreneurs (VLEs) by providing web-enabled anytime anywhere access to services & inf. (G2C) in rural areas

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ECI’s appl. for utilisation of CSCs

ECI had in response to the proposal from

CEO, W.B., had accorded in-principle

approval to provide electoral services

through CSCs & also invited attention to the

earlier instns. of ECI for piggy-backing on

infrastructure set up under Govt. schemes

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Orders for scheme in 4 distts. of TN

Orders were issued [on 13th Jan. 2010] for CSCs in 4

districts- Krishnagiri, Tiruvannamalai, Dharmapuri &

Vellore [where the Agency operating 1045 centres

has been doing relatively well] attending to

generation/ printing of relevant Forms after doing

data-entry for inclusion/ transposition and correction

of entries in the e. roll and either capture of image or

scanning of photo brought by a person

These centres are operational round the year & on

an average a CSC covers 3 villages

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MOU & Training

MOU executed with the Agency on 31st March

2010 in which the modalities of operations

have also been set out

It is proposed to train the Master Trainers

who in turn will train the VLEs [Village Level

Entrepreneurs] in the CSCs

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Extn. concomitant with Operationalisation of CSCs

Agency is taking steps to activate the dormant CSCs

Later, the scheme will be extended to other distts. of the State depending upon the operationalisation of the CSCs in those distts. & in urban areas

This will be the first ‘G2C’ [or more appropriately ‘ECI 2 C’ service to be implemented in TN through the CSCs]

4646

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