EC refuses to give details of SIR software, cites ‘trade secrets, IPR'

File photo: Election Commision of India

NEW DELHI: Election Commission has declined to disclose the name and version of the software it used to identify errors and anomalies in voter rolls during SIR, saying the information was related to “commercial confidence, trade secrets and intellectual property” and, thus, exempt under RTI Act.

The reply, dated Oct 16, came in response to an RTI plea.M A Mujeeb Ayyub, a social activist from Karimpur in Telangana, in his RTI plea dated July 27 had sought information regarding the software, application, algorithm or AI platform used by EC to identify errors, anomalies or inconsistencies in electoral rolls during SIR.In response, EC said, “No new software has been developed or procured for the SIR exercise. Further, EROs decide on the inclusion/exclusion of an elector on the basis of facts and records.”

An EC official said software and algorithm details were conventionally not shared under RTI requests. Even EVM manufacturers like Bharat Electronics Ltd and Electronics Corporation of India Ltd have earlier refused to share EVM source codes while replying to RTI queries.

Ayyub had sought to know whether the software or the AI platform automatically flagged records for verification, correction or deletion and if that was the case, what was the detailed workflow followed after such records were identified.

He had asked whether any AI, machine learning, predictive analytics, or automated decision support system was used in any stage of the SIR exercise.In response to the queries, EC simply said the information sought was a “clarification which does not come under the information as per Section 2(f) of RTI Act”.