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News: West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee has accused the BJP that multiple electors have been assigned identical EPIC numbers, raising concerns about electoral integrity ahead of the state elections.
About Electors Photo Identity Card (EPIC)
- An Electors Photo Identity Card (EPIC) is issued to all registered voters to prevent impersonation during elections.
- It serves as an identity document but does not grant the right to vote unless the elector’s name is present in the electoral roll.
- The Registration of Electors Rules, 1960 provides for the issuance of EPICs.
- EPICs were introduced in 1993 and are issued by state governments.
- Contents of EPIC:
- Elector’s name, age, and residence details
- Photograph of the voter
- Facsimile signature of the Registration Officer
- Any other particulars specified by the Election Commission (EC)
- EPIC Number Format: It is a unique alphanumeric code consisting of:
- Three alphabetical codes
- A seven-digit numerical code
- Each EPIC number includes a Functional Unique Serial Number (FUSN) for the respective Assembly constituency.
- Since 2017, EPICs have been generated exclusively online via the ERONET portal of the Election Commission.
- The first-time issuance of an EPIC assigns a unique number to the elector. If an elector replaces their EPIC, the number remains the same as the original.
- Duplicate EPIC Numbers Issue:
- The EC has acknowledged duplicate EPIC numbers but clarified that no voter can cast votes outside their designated constituency.
- EC is working on rectifying duplicate EPIC numbers by assigning new unique numbers through the ERONET 2.0 platform.
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