Election Commission Orders Independent Review of ECINet Platform Amid Access Concerns

On Saturday, the Election Commission directed that a panel — to include an independent technical expert drawn from an IIT or IIIT — conduct an audit of its ECINet platform, following reported disagreements among the three poll commissioners regarding the system's operations and access to voter-roll data. The ruling was adopted at a plenary Commission session, with Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar joined by Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi in attendance. The gathering took place one day after a broadcast outlet published a report outlining reservations that Sandhu and Joshi had reportedly raised regarding the operation of ECINet and a redistribution of duties within the electoral body. The Election Commission of India stated that correspondence dispatched by Sandhu and Joshi to Cabinet Secretary T V Somanathan bore no connection to any decision taken by the Commission or its technology division. The election body's panel stated that the correspondence related to the conduct of an officer serving on deputation at the ECI. The statement further noted that work redistribution orders issued by the officer had gone unheeded following directions from the two Election Commissioners. The Commission also clarified that oversight of the IT division by a Deputy Election Commissioner had remained in place throughout. The Election Commission's ECINet consolidates over 40 separate applications and portals into a single integrated digital infrastructure for electoral services. Introduced in January, the system serves both voters and election administrators across a variety of electoral functions. At the heart of the dispute is the question of what level of access should be granted to those with a statutory duty to compile and maintain voter registration records. Sandhu and Joshi had voiced apprehensions that control over the voter-roll database was becoming progressively concentrated in fewer hands. Concerns were raised about whether limiting access might undermine the legal duties of personnel operating at both state and district tiers. According to reports, Joshi had put forward a proposal for an independent review by an IIT specialist to verify that access to voter roll modifications was restricted to those legally permitted to make such changes. Sandhu had additionally requested unrestricted entry for those overseeing voter registration duties. These issues were said to have been raised on multiple separate occasions and were also communicated directly to CEC Gyanesh Kumar. On Saturday, the Election Commission dismissed claims that ECINet had stripped field-level election officials of their statutory authority. The statement noted that personnel are granted access to the platform in line with their designated legal duties. According to the body, each tier of electoral official — from Booth Level Officers up through Chief Electoral Officers — operates via dedicated login credentials assigned to their respective roles. The ECI stated that no other personnel — including those from within the Commission — are authorised to carry out its statutory duties on ECINet. The electoral body noted that numerous modifications to ECINet had already been implemented, drawing on input gathered from state Chief Electoral Officers over the preceding months. The statement noted that any modifications requested by on-the-ground personnel would be implemented following a review process. The ruling on Saturday also outlined plans for a review panel — led by a senior Deputy Election Commissioner and joined by an independent technical expert from an IIT or IIIT — to assess ECINet. The panel will assess whether the framework complies with applicable legislation and regulations before presenting its conclusions to the Commission. The body also resolved that any forthcoming technology-related modules and portals would undergo review by its Committee of Officers prior to being submitted to the Commission for formal consideration. The matter has attracted scrutiny because voter registration lists are compiled and updated through a legally mandated procedure involving government functionaries across multiple tiers. Two Election Commissioners raised questions about whether the architecture and access protocols of the newly introduced system aligned with the statutory powers afforded to those officeholders under electoral legislation. The Commission moved to dispel accounts of an internal administrative clash, clarifying that correspondence directed at the Cabinet Secretary concerned an individual officer's conduct rather than any disagreement over policy within its IT division.

Election Commission Orders Independent Review of ECINet Platform Amid Access Concerns

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Election Commission Orders Independent Review of ECINet Platform Amid Access Concerns

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