Page 42 - Leap of Faith Vol - 2

Leap of Faith Journey of Indian Elections

Indelible Ink
How to check impersonation during voting at the
general elections of the country was an important
national problem that Election Commission of India
was confronted with. Given the size of the electorate in
India, this was indeed a mammoth problem for which
the Commission had wanted a simple scientific solution.
The chemists in NPL came up with formulation for
indelible ink in 1952. The ink when applied to fingernail
of the voter would leave that mark that would last several
weeks, thus preventing the voter from voting again. This
method was so successful that it has been used in all
subsequent general elections in the country. Its utility
has been shown on a large scale over an extended period
of time. Indeed, some foreign countries have also
adopted this ink for their elections.
(From The Legacy Continues, The National Physical Laboratory
Diamond Jubilee Volume, 2007, P.69)

He was evidently referring to the experience of several “ “
Polling will be simultaneous for elections to the State
Assembly and the House of the People. This will save
September 1951, Mock Elections - Chief Election Commissioner,
time, cost and administrative effort, and will also be
Sukumar Sen and his staff supervising ballot boxes in Delhi
convenient for the voters themselves. A voter will be
given ballot paper first for the Assembly Election and,
Even as the Cons tu on of India was being finalized,
after he has cast his vote for the same within the
illustrious economist Prof. D.G. Karve (in R.R. Kale
enclosure, he will be given the ballot papers for the
Memorial Lecture, 1949), observed that newer
House of the People election. He will then cast his vote
democracies devoid of the founda ons of either public
for the same in another enclosure. Ballot will be strictly
and local administra on or of the desire and opportunity
secret and even the Presiding Officer must not be
of building these easily collapsed before the brute power
of authoritarian elements, at home and abroad.
- Sukumar Sen
European na ons in the interwar period. The apoli cal allowed to know how a particular voter has voted.
Broadcast talk on AIR, April 4, 1951
administra ve machinery has played an important role in
sustainment of democracy in India.

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