IT Happens : February 2004
Monthly News Notice of IT Happenings
Issue - 32

Election Special

Feature of the month
 New Age Voting Machine

First it was EVMs (Electronic Voting Machine) and then it was voters ID card. Both were taken-up as different projects in our country. Voting process will not be fool-proof till both are combined. The first such technology solution was experimented successfully at California County Elections in USA recently.

Direct Recording Electronic Voting( DRE) was developed by Sequoia Voting Systems Inc. for this purpose the Sequoia system works much like an ATM machine. Each voter inserts a plastic card, which the poll worker activates. This starts the voting process. Voters touch the area over the initiative or candidate they wish to vote for, and the machine records the vote. 

When the plastic card is removed, the vote is sealed. The results are recorded on a paper scroll and in a memory chip that won't lose information if there's an electrical glitch. County supervisors say they are confident that the machines are secure, but intend to add a paper backup also.

Is Election Commission of India also listening.?

(Source : www.cnn.com)

Quote

"Vote for the man who promises least; he'll be the least disappointing."
- Bernard Baruch -

Personality of the Month

Taruvai Subbayya Krishna Murthy, the first Indian Revenue Service (IRS) official, who became the 13th Chief Election Commissioner(CEC) of India will remain CEC till May 2005. 
Krishnamurthy joined the Indian Revenue Service in 1963 and served in various positions in the Income Tax Department. He was sent on deputation to the Union Ministry of Finance. As Joint Secretary (Tax Policy legislation), he was closely associated with the Direct Tax Reforms announced in the 1991, 1992 and 1993 Union Budgets. 

He became Secretary to the Department of Company Affairs, Government of India, in January 1997. He has been responsible for framing a comprehensive Companies Bill to replace the existing Companies Act and also two amendment Bills to the existing Companies Act in order to improve corporate governance and investors' interests. He has been on several international assignments; he was part of a team to study, advise and report on the electoral system in Indonesia. We wish the media shy CEC best of luck for conduction of coming elections in the country.

IT Snippets
ISDB in Election Results Announcements

ISDB (Integrated Services Digital Broadcasting) is the new broadcasting service for the digital/multimedia era, promoting research and development for a long time. ISDB will initiate new types of multimedia services, integrating a wide range of information, including multi-view programs using multi-channels, and multimedia news which combines moving pictures, still pictures, sound, and textual information. 

ISDB will allow the integration of different services supplied by different media, such as satellite, terrestrial, and cable TV. At the receiving side of ISDB, digital broadcasting receivers will be equipped with a home server, which is the home recording system that will eventually replace current VCRs. 

The home server has an automatic recording function permitting users to call up the programs and information they want to watch. A major application of this technology is to allow dynamically changing Election Results with facilities for users to watch results as per their will.

Web Watch
http://www.eci.gov.in

The Website of Election Commission of India was launched on 28th of February, 1998, just two days prior to start of Counting for General Elections to 12th Lok Sabha. This was done as a part of the comprehensive plan for intensive and extensive use of Information Technology in Electoral Management and Administration initiated by the Commission in 1997.

The Website is a Comprehensive Resource Centre for Indian elections. The Website of the Election Commission of India reflects the Commission's broad vision of moving into the Internet way of computing for all activities connected with elections and major electoral events. To that extent, the Website is an integral part of the overall management strategy of the Commission.

The architecture of the Website consists of three main components. 
One part covers Basic Information about the Electoral System of India, the Election Commission, Frequently Asked Questions-(FAQs), Press Releases and Key Statistics. 
The second part covers the entire range of Electoral Laws, Manuals, Handbooks, Instructions and Forms. Most of these are textual matters and currently cover more than 10,000 pages of printed materials and include almost all the publications of the Commission in print. 
The third part contains comprehensive data on any current election event starting with the General Election for 1998. These include data on Electors, Polling Stations, Parties, Schedules, Candidates, and finally Counting Trends and Results. The last part covering the progress of counting and declaration of results is dynamically updated. 

The database, centrally maintained in the Commission Secretariat is instantly updated through an automated process. Data from Counting Centres are fed to computer terminals and through Commission's Communication Network is received at its Secretariat. The computer database is updated and dynamically new web pages reflecting the latest position is generated and placed on the Website. 

A variety of views are included. National Poll Update, Party-wise results, State Summaries with similar analysis and Constituency Level Details are dynamically updated During the national parliament elections more than a thousand pages are refreshed with latest data every five minutes or so.

IT Humour

Gyani Zail Singh went to the US & had a meeting with Reagan. Reagan said, "I want to show you the advancement in technology in USA. Come with me." Reagan takes him in a deep forest and says."Dig the ground." 
Zail Singh digs. Reagan says, "More, more, more..." 
Zail Singh has now reached a 100 feet. 
Reagan says, "So now, did you find anything?" 
Zail Singh, "I got a wire!" 
Reagan says, "You see, it shows that even 200 years ago we used to have telephones!" 
Zail Singh was very frustrated and he invited Reagan to India. 
In India GyaniJi says, "Now I want to show you the advancement in India!" 
He takes Reagan to a forest and asks him to dig. 
After some time GyaniJi says, "More. .. more... more!"  Reagan has now reached almost 400 feet. Zail Singh says, "Find anything?" 
Reagan tries but finds nothing, "Nothing here!" 
GyaniJi says, "You see even 400 years ago we had gone WIRELESS!"


IT Quiz

1.   What is a Touch Screen ?

2.   What is e-voting?

IT Quiz Solutions

  1. A touch screen is a computer display screen that is sensitive to human touch, allowing a user to interact with the computer by touching pictures or words on the screen. Touch screens are used with information kiosks, computer-based training devices, and systems designed to help individuals who have difficulty manipulating a mouse or keyboard. Touch screen technology can be used as an alternative user interface with applications that normally require a mouse, such as a Web browser. Some applications are designed specifically for touch screen technology, often having larger icons and links than the typical PC application. Monitors are available with built-in touch screen technology or individuals can purchase a touch screen kit.
  2. E-voting (sometimes called electronic voting, online voting, or Internet voting) is an election system that uses encryption to allow a voter to transmit his or her secure and secret ballot over the Internet.