Thank You, Shri Rajiv Kumar

 Thank You, Shri Rajiv Kumar

( Chief Election Commissioner /  cec@eci.gov.in )

 

What for ?

For implementing my suggestion

 

What suggestion ?

Enabling voters to access all information about election candidates through a Mobile App , “ Know Your Candidate- KYC “

 

When did you make that suggestion ?

About 11 years ago ( - and repeated some 7 years ago ) through following E mails :

VotesApp…. …………. 18 Dec 2012

 

Extract :

 

      Upon selection, user will be presented with the list of candidates contesting , from which , he can select only one by ticking a checkbox. There will be also a choice , labeled “ None “

     A long press on a candidate’s name will display details of his declared assets as also his criminal record

      After ticking / selecting a candidate, voter will click on  “ VOTE “ button, whereupon his vote gets registered and VotesApp gets inactivated

 

 

Filtering Candidate Information ?... ………………………….18 Sept 2016

Extract :

 

Would voters be enthused to come forward to vote , if

#  Latest info about ALL of those candidates was available at finger-tips on

    his Mobile ( authenticated by Election Commission ), eliminating hours of

    " searching " on the Net and hours of " filtering "

    

 

#  That info would comprise,

     *  Affidavit filed by the Candidates

     *  Police Record including cases filed / pending / disposed off , against the

        candidates

     *  Past political history ( no of political parties changed )

     *  Director-ship ( direct / indirect ) in private businesses and NPA of those

        businesses

     *  Results of open Surveys on " ROMP - RecallOur Member of Parliament "

     *  Whether the candidate has accepted to implement the " Charter of

         Demand " ( if elected ) , submitted and uploaded by the Voters of his

        Constituency on the web site of the Election Commission

         

#  He can vote directly from his Mobile , without having to go to a Polling Booth

    and spend 4 hours

#  He can take 5 minutes to cast his vote, sitting in his bedroom , without holding

    up other voters in the queue

#  He can vote at any time of the voting day and from any place on the earth !

 

Candidates / Spouses / Kids : Assets ? …………………………. 16 Feb 2018

Extract :

 

Dear Hon Supreme Court :

There is no need for  “ setting up a permanent mechanism to keep tabs on and probe the assets of law-makers and their immediate families “

All that is required is to add one more field in the Income Tax Form ( revised one introduced in 2016 ) , which says :

“ If either yourself or any member of your near family ( spouse / children / son-in-law / daughter-in-law ) have held any position in Parliament or State Legislature or Municipal Corporation , at any time during past 5 years , provide full details below :…………………. “

 

 

Oh , great !  Where did you learn that Election Commissioner has implemented your suggestion ?

 

Here is a news report which appeared yesterday :

Lok Sabha Elections 2024: EC rolls out KYC app to help you know your candidate  .. 17 March 2024

Extract :

It's the season of KYC - be it the financial front or the poll turf. At a time when the Reserve Bank of India keeps a hawk eye on KYC compliance by fintech firms, the Election Commission has rolled out another form of KYC - to Know Your Candidate - ahead of the Lok Sabha polls.

The Know Your Candidate (KYC) mobile application allows a voter to check if a candidate standing for elections in her constituency has a criminal record. The app is available to both Android and iOS users.

Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar announced the launch of this app as part his announcement of the poll schedule in New Delhi on March 16. He stressed on the importance of voters getting to know their candidates at more than just the surface level.

"We have come up with this mobile application to enable voters to find out if a candidate, who is bidding to represent them in the Lok Sabha, has a criminal background," he said.

This move aims to increase transparency and accountability in the electoral process, ensuring that voters have access to comprehensive information about candidates before casting their votes.

The app allows voters to find out if there's any records of crime against a candidate, and also know his or her assets and liabilities. Candidates are required to disclose their criminal records in newspapers and on television three times and the parties nominating such candidates must justify their selection over other deserving candidates.

"The voters can also now check for themselves the assets and liabilities that candidates with criminal antecedents hold. All relevant information in this regard will be made available on this application," Kumar said.

"The parties giving tickets to such tainted candidates have to explain why they chose them over other, more deserving, claimants. They have to clearly state the basis of selection of a candidate with a criminal background," he added.

 

With regards,

Hemen Parekh

www.HemenParekh.ai  /  18 March 2024