National
EC to get 40 lakh VVPAT machines, EVMs by September 2018: Joti
Agartala, Nov 29 (IANS) The Election Commission will get 40 lakh VVPAT machines and EVMs by September 2018 for use in the 2019 general elections, Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) A.K. Joti said on Wednesday.
The VVPAT (Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail) machine attached to an Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) generates a paper slip with the name of candidate and his/her party symbol for whom an elector votes for.
The Centre has sanctioned Rs 5,000 crore to the EC to procure 40 lakh of these machines.
“We need over 23 lakh EVMs and 16 lakh VVPAT machines for the 2019 elections,” the CEC told the media here.
Government-owned Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd and Electronic Corporation of India Limited will supply these 40 lakh VVPAT machines and EVMs. Both have been making EVMs for the EC for the past 20 years.
The Commission had decided that from June onwards all elections in the country would be held through EVMs attached with VVPATs, he said.
The CEC said that EVMs with VVPATs are battery-operated standalone machines with no Internet or mobile links and cannot be operated or controlled from outside or by any remote system.
Joti said the Election Commission, following a Supreme Court order in September 2013, had tried to make the voting process more transparent and the use of VVPATs with EVMs was a step in this direction.
Election Commission officials led by the CEC had arrived in Tripura on Tuesday to review the preparedness for the February 2018 assembly elections.
–IANS
sc/tsb/bg
National
Foodman Vishal Singh Honored for Hunger Free World Mission in Bangkok
Lucknow: Vishal Singh, a renowned social worker from Lucknow, also known as Foodman, has once again made India proud. He was honored by the Happy Hands Gloves Cooperative Limited Company in Korathai, Thailand, for his work with the Hunger Free World Mission.
The Hunger Free World Mission’s meeting was held in Korathai, Thailand, under Vishal Singh’s leadership. Representatives from several countries, including Mr. Raja Dwivedi (Managing Director of Happy Hands Gloves Limited), Thailand Coordinator Mr. Raja Mishra, and member Mr. Varun Singh, attended the event.
Under Vishal Singh’s leadership, the attendees took a pledge to work together toward creating a hunger-free world.
Speaking on the occasion, Vishal Singh explained that the main goal of the Hunger Free World Mission is social participation. He said the mission is not just about feeding people but also about meeting other basic needs of those who are struggling. The mission focuses on helping families of terminally ill patients in hospitals by providing food and shelter. It also works to fulfill essential needs like education, jobs, and care for the elderly.
For the last 16 years, the Vijay Sri Foundation has been providing free services, benefiting thousands of people. Vishal Singh highlighted that the mission aims to gain global recognition like other organizations such as WHO, WWF, and Red Cross, which work for social causes.
During this meeting, Vishal Singh was appointed as the Chairman of the Hunger Free World Mission by representatives from various countries. They also discussed holding regular meetings in different countries to push the mission forward.
Business tycoon Dr. Abhishek Verma has also supported this humanitarian mission, vowing to promote the idea of “Seva Parmo Dharma” (Service is the highest duty) worldwide. Vishal Singh praised him, stating that people like Dr .Abhishek Verma inspire others to work for the betterment of society.
Recently, Romania’s Ambassador, Mr . Daniela Sezonov Ţane, invited Vishal Singh to the Romanian Embassy in Delhi, where they discussed the mission in detail. Impressed by his humanitarian work, she honored Vishal Singh and invited him to Romania to take the mission forward .
Food man Vishal Singh has been serving the people of India for the past 16 years. Through the Vijay Sri Foundation, he provides free meals to cancer patients & their families ,shelter, and education for women & children along with running free old-age homes in Lucknow.
In addition to his humanitarian work, Vishal Singh also addresses issues like crime and corruption through his role as Chairman of Seva Path Media and Managing Director of Vijay Sri Foundation.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Vishal Singh and his team worked tirelessly to provide food and help to the needy, including starving children, elderly citizens, and pregnant women. Despite contracting the virus himself, he continued to assist others after his recovery. He even created a life-saving oxygen regulator using household items, which was praised by doctors both in India and abroad.
In his address at the meeting, Vishal Singh spoke about his mission to create a hunger-free world. He pointed out that India’s large population, along with issues like unemployment and poverty, has caused the country to fall on the Hunger Index. He urged people to contribute just one handful of grains daily to help create a hunger-free world.
He concluded by saying that through social participation, we can empower the people around us, meet their basic needs, and work together to build a stronger, more prosperous, and developed society.