The judgement:

• The Supreme Court dismissed the petitions seeking verification of all the votes cast on EVMs with VVPAT slips.
• The apex court also rejected a plea to return to paper ballots.
• The voter will not be allowed to take the VVPAT slip himself physically and drop into the ballot compartment, which is currently being dropped there automatically after the voter checks it through a screen.
• The court said the ECI may explore the possibility of using an electronic machine to count VVPAT slips.
• The sealed containers containing the SLUs shall be kept in storerooms, with the EVMs, (for) at least for 45 days post declaration of results, the court said.
• The burnt memory in the EVM microcontroller must be checked by a team of engineers after results are declared if a candidate makes such a request, the verdict stated.

"Blindly distrusting a system can lead to unwarranted suspicions," Justice Dipankar Datta and Justice Sanjiv Khanna remarked.

OPINION: It is important that the random selection of the booths is done after the EVM counting. It would also help to clear any lingering doubts if the number of random booths is increased. The rest could be left to Lady Luck!

NEW DELHI, Apr 26: The Supreme Court dismissed a batch of petitions on Friday seeking cross-verification of all the votes cast through the EVMs (electronic voting machines) with the VVPAT (Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail) paper slips during counting. It also rejected a plea to return to the old paper ballot system of voting.

The court also refused to allow the voters to put the VVPAT paper slips themselves into the ballot compartment instead of them being dropped into it automatically as is being done now.

The VVPAT slips are currently used to verify votes cast through the EVM only in five randomly selected polling booths per constituency. The petition was demanding to match up all the votes cast on EVM with the slips (100% verification).

The ECI argued that it matched EVM votes with more than 4 crore VVPAT slips and so far there were no discrepancies found. The commission explained how it is impossible to tamper with the EVMs and that the programme itself is copyrighted.

The VVPAT machine attached to the EVM prints out a slip of paper showing the vote cast by a voter and drops it into a compartment below. The slip is visible for seven seconds for the voter to check if the vote he cast has gone to the candidate of his choice. These slips can be used and counted like ballot papers and tallied with the candidate-wise total votes polled as shown by the EVM. But at present this counter-verification is done only for five randomly selected polling booths per constituency. This sampling is supposed to test the integrity of system of machine voting.

The Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) and other petitioners alleged that the EVM can be tampered with or even be pre-programmed to save majority votes in favour of a particular candidate/party/symbol.

Advantages of EVM

There are quite a few advantages of using the EVM voting machine, especially if transparency can be brought about. First, saving the paper. But even for paper ballot there used to be complaints long ago that a Russian magic ink was being used that does the trick of changing the mark in favour of the intended candidate. There have been serious charges against the pro-active spymaster of the universe for over a period of about three-fourths of a century. It is now in public domain that they, using their latest home-grown technology, helped Trump in winning the 2016 US presidential election but was preempted next time as the Democrats smelt a rat and succeeded in changing the voting pattern heavily in favour of postal ballot and early voting. A shocked Trump went violent and still remains unstable.

Secondly, and this one is quite good, that there is no chance of the most common dispute about the validity of a marking on a paper ballot by the voter in the old system, holding up counting! There can never be an error when the candidate's option is printed by a machine. Counting can be made easy.

Thirdly, saving the time. Results can be announced instantly. However, the argument that election in India is the largest democratic exercise in the world and we can no longer continue with the physical counting as in small countries like France and Switzerlad, is fallacious. It was the most stupid thing for the ECI to submit in the court that counting 100% VVPAT slips would pose a “great difficulty” as it would take an hour to count the slips from one VVPAT alone. Who are they kidding, the court?

TAILPIECE: It is true to say, if you know advanced computer programming, that anything is possible through computing technology in the universe today except for moving the mountains. And for that we don't need to wait for Quantum to come. Even without programming knowledge, a teacher from her home computer can correct her pupil's answers on his computer at his house. That is as simple as that! As for the EVM, a simple mobile can be used from outside the booth to rewrite the list/file the EVM is storing if you are familiar with the inside of the machine. It is questionable whether a jurist who is defined as an expert in the common laws formulated by the politicians, and the legal practices, by virtue of just being that jurist is competent to express opinions on these technological issues.

ANALYSIS: A pious Catholic and a gentleman (in contrast to the savage-looking felon), Biden is the most experienced politician that he doesn't look. Of Irish descent, he has been around the Capitol Hill and the White House for over five decades, quietly observing people and events. With his rich experience and insight, understanding Biden and what he does now will be possible only retrospectively, may be a year later!! Therefore not many Americans can see that for some time now he has been preparing his 'favourite child' to take on his mantle.

At the end of it all what will stand is what Nikki Haley said on X, "Mark my words... Biden will not be the Democratic nominee. Republicans, get your guard up!"

If and when he withdraws from contest, he must quit White House as well. Why?

OPPOSITION WAKES UP ! The Opposition accused the Prime Minister, who seems to insist he alone will inaugurate everything in the country, of "hurriedly inaugurating" an "incomplete terminal" in March last for publicity on the eve of the general elections. At that time he had also laid the foundation stone for 15 other airport projects across the country. He was also accused of inaugurating an incomplete Ram temple in Ayodhya in January which started leaking in the first downpour last weekend.

It is also puzzling why every few years airport buildings are demolished in Delhi and new plans are made for new constructions and nobody seems to take notice! (Because the airport itself is tucked away in a far corner, not easily accessible to the discerning, with a web of roads going only round and round like a tape around a spool, as if not reaching anywhere!)

Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge accused the Modi Government of "corruption and criminal negligence" in the name of infrastructure projects (launched every other day) in the last 10 years. Kharge also said Modi has been keen on indulging in ribbon-cutting ceremonies.

Trinamool Congress leader Saket Gokhale asked, "Why shouldn't PM Modi be charged with culpable homicide?"

COMMENT: A simple question but difficult to understand is why the people should be concerned about whether an NTA director is sacked for paper leakage or a DGP is removed for law and order breakdown. The people have nothing to do with the elite appointments nor their conduct. They are the cousin-brothers of the political dispensation. If not barred by fixation, kindly take a look at other countries!

“What I want to do and what I will do is, you graduate from a college, I think you should get automatically as part of your diploma (two-year programs or doctoral degrees) a green card to be able to stay in this country” permanently, the presidential candidate said. Asked if he would promise to allow the “best and the brightest around the world to (come to) America,” Trump firmly replied: “I do promise.”

COMMENT: Could Biden visualise a better immigration formula to build a still stronger America? Will Kamala Harris, in charge of migration, and struggling for ideas, take note?

Delhi has recorded the hottest night (35+ deg C), unheard of since the beginning of time! For 30 consecutive days the maximum temp is above 40 deg C and in the nights too the mercury stayed high as there is hardly any earth around to absorb and dissipate the day's heat. Add on to the nightmare the acute water shortage in the national Capital due to the power-hungry, low-grade politicians squabbling for one-upmanship. More than 200 people died in Delhi-NCR in the past two days. Most of them are poor people, labourers, the homeless, beggars.

An anatomy of NEET 2024: From the start till finish NEET will stay put as a conundrum jinxed as it is. What if it was thought angels would come down from the heaven to conduct the entrance exam if done at the Centre and if in the States, they would be conducted by the corrupt mortals. So NEET was born... It's 'guaranteed' that no party will ever be able to do what is required to be done in the country. Because of their genetics. Frauds will only multiply. Is there anything worse? Yes. Shoot the messenger!

A video shows the terrifying scene of the chopper swirling and dropping nose down mid-air around the helipad. In fact, the rear rotor had gone for a toss and the pilot was performing autorotation for a crash-landing. He pulled it off! Congrats!

True or false, Savitri claimed her husband had told her to throw Vinod into the canal as all that he does is eat. "How much torture can my son endure?" She picked him up when he was asleep.

Marking a decisive stage in the ongoing tussle between Governors and the Governments in some States, the Governor of Bengal has thrown down the gauntlet to the State police, asking the Raj Bhavan staff to refuse any enquiry from the cops in the sexual harassment case filed by a woman employee against him.

COMMENT: In many a case complaints can be frivolous, made under certain circumstances. So it is more in the interest of the accused that there is an investigation to clear his name. Denial may only mean acceptance of the guilt. Besides, quoting Constitutional immunity in sexual harassment cases is nothing short of a vulgarity of the feudal landlord. Nobody is above the law.

While the universal apprentice scheme will enable the educated youth to stand up (literally) in a country where the people are trampled by wretched politicians, and look about for avenues to earn a living confidently, the provision of student credit cards of up to Rs 10 lakh will ensure each and every student of this country receives equal opportunities to fulfil their aspirations of higher education irrespective of their financial conditions. It will be a game changer. These are on the lines of what US Vice-President Kamala Harris visualised to be happening to the Third World when she hailed Ajay Banga as a transformative World Bank President.

Peter Higgs is the father of the mysterious Higgs boson, otherwise called 'God Particle', which gives mass to all elementary particles, and created our universe. His contribution helped other scientists understand how the Big Bang created something out of nothing 13.8 billion years ago. The equations of particle physicists which did not have a leg to stand on till then, the 'God Particle' came as a Godsend. The theories so far to describe the universe did not hold water.

It was only by 2012, after 50 years of the boson discovery, that scientists at CERN could make the big announcement that they had finally found a Higgs boson using the Large Hadron Collider.

Higgs instantly broke into tears, tears of profound satisfaction, in the lecture hall where the announcement was made.

LEGAL REMEDIES: Last year, on the directive of the Supreme Court, the Governor granted assent to one Bill, and referred seven Bills to the President. The petition against the President also challenges the Governor's action of referring the Bills to her.

The unprecedented step by the State may also establish that it always upholds the Constitution and the rule of law in order to pre-empt any eventuality of getting dismissed on flimsy grounds invoking provisions of the Constitution later on; and, also provide a thrust to an emerging platform of regional forces pitted against the ongoing centralisation of every subject and activity in the country under one umbrella where the States will ultimately 'wither' away (for some time).

OPINION: Made to happen as it does just weeks ahead of the general elections, the arrest may signal, if not the cause of, far-reaching consequences in the course of Indian politics. The Opposition charges that the ruling party at the Centre has unleashed the police to catch a leader every other day for corruption allegedly indulged in in the present or the remote past in order to incapacitate any concerted opposition to the ruling dispensation.

The “My way or the highway" man, Trump has predicted 'apocalypse' for Americans if he is not elected the President in the upcoming election. He sounds “extremism, affection for violence." As always, he is also seeing what others don't, and repetitively using words like "(2020) election was stolen"! And that's a symptom! Delivering a no-holds-barred speech at a rally in Ohio, he also predicted the US won't see another election if he did not win the November battle against the incumbent President. With his savage push against the God-fearing Catholic, and the heap of criminal cases pending in the courts, the unpredictable Trump's nomination exposes a season of drought of leadership of calibre in the United States.

The much-touted 'one-nation, one-election' argument was purportedly to prevent wasteful expenditure of the people's money, manpower and deceleration of development, but the committee report when implemented will end up paving the way for holding more elections than currently being held. Because of the logistics and democratic limitations involved, the committee was not expected by commonsense to be out of a loose end either! Those who are alive at that time, and further for ten more years thereafter, can count the rounds and compare with the present numbers. Therefore, either the agenda is different or the 8-volume presentation is faulty/made-up!!!

The manager has defended himself saying that dry ice got mixed with mouth freshener by the negligence of the staff...After taking the mouth freshener the customers felt a burning sensation and started vomiting blood. Five of them were hospitalised. Two are in critical condition.

Harmful effects of dry ice: Ingested, dry ice can burn your mouth, esophagus and stomach as it sublimates on contact with the moisture of the organs and turns into CO2, apart from other damaging physical and chemical changes it induces. The pressure building up in the stomach due to sublimation can also rupture the stomach muscles. It turns lethal. In normal direct handling it leads to frostbite due to the cold temperature.

One of them is seen in CCTV being shot at close range. The motive is suspected to be personal enmity.

TAILPIECE: Almost every other day we hear of shootings in one place or other in the country. India will very soon replace the US as the world's No 1 in the incidence of mass shooting. It will eclipse terrorism as a source of concern. Who can help? At least, has it occurred to anyone's mind?

'This Moment' of Shakti fusion won the Best Global Music Album at the Grammys. Zakir Hussain has won two other awards too. In a great victory for Indians, five of them have won the Grammys this time. In other sections, Taylor Swift got her fourth Album of the Year award and Miley Cyrus got an award for the first time.

The Government scheme provides ₹ 51,000 per wedding of which ₹ 35,000 goes to the girl, ₹ 10,000 for wedding materials and ₹ 6,000 towards expenses for the ceremony.

“Two activists from the environmental movement ‘Riposte Alimentaire’ sprayed pumpkin soup on the armoured glass protecting the Mona Lisa, this Sunday, January 28, 2024, around 10 am (4aET),” a statement from the museum said.

It is not understood how undesirable elements are allowed to get so close to her and play havoc with the artwork. Several times over this has happened in the past, deranged minds masquerading as tourists and cultists venting their frustration.