Geeta Gupta
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An American computer scientist, J Alex Halderman, who had co-authored a study titled "India's EVMs are vulnerable to fraud", was not allowed to enter the country after landing at the Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport here on Sunday evening. Airport sources said he would be deported, but offered no reason for the action.
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Speaking to The Indian Express from the airport, Halderman said: "I am about to be thrown out of this country and there is no reason anyone is giving me. There is just no explanation, they are not letting me enter.". Halderman, an assistant professor of electrical engineering and computer sciences at the University of Michigan, was here to attend a technical conference in Gujarat.
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In February this year, top researchers from India, US and Netherlands, had come up with a study which said that EVMs are prone to tampering. Halderman and his Indian co-author, Hari K Prasad, were part of the group.
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Earlier, the Election Commission had challenged Prasad to demonstrate how EVMs could be tampered with. The EC, however, withheld access to the EVMs.
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In his blog about the study, Halderman wrote: "Despite widespread reports of election irregularities and suspicions of electronic fraud, the Election Commission has never permitted security researchers to complete an independent evaluation. Hari and others in India repeatedly offered to collaborate with the Election Commission to better understand the security of the machines, but they were not permitted to complete a serious review."
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He added: "Indian election authorities have repeatedly claimed that the machines are 'tamperproof,' but we demonstrated important vulnerabilities by studying a machine provided by an anonymous source. The story took a disturbing turn when my co-author, Hari Prasad, was arrested by Indian authorities demanding to know the identity of that source."
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by the courtesy of indianexpress.com
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by the courtesy of indianexpress.com
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http://www.indianexpress.com/news/us-prof-behind-evm-study-deported-on-arrival/723897/
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/us-prof-behind-evm-study-deported-on-arrival/723897/
DOESN'T THE ELECTION COMMISSION UNDERSTAND THAT THESE TWO GENTLEMEN ARE ON THEIR SIDE AND THEY ARE DOING THE COUNTRY A BIG FAVOUR BY SHOWING DEFECTS IN A VITAL PIECE OF MACHINERY WHICH HELPS ELECT REPRESENTATIVES TO THE GOVERNMENT? IN THE WEST THESE PEOPLE WOULD HAVE BEEN PRAISED AND APPLAUDED AND THEIR SUGGESTIONS TRIED OUT. BUT IN INDIA THEY ARE TO BE BOOTED OUT. THIS IS THE THINKING OF GOVERNMENT BUREAUCRATS THAT KEEPS INDIA FROM MOVING FORWARD FROM DARKNESS TO LIGHT.
ReplyDeleteJai Singh
Strange reaction
ReplyDeleteReaction of Indian authorities is wierd to say the least. It raises suspicion that the ruling govt. is scared of getting exposed. Otherwise,why would you not talk to a scientist to know the details which will help in strenghening electoral process. This govt. has no problems in talking to anti-national forces in JK or to Pakistanis who work 24x7 to somehow harm or destroy India. But, when it comes to scientific community who are only trying to point out weakenesses in the system , this govt. is very uncomfirtbale.
By: Indian at heart
Government action deplorable
ReplyDeleteNo designer can ever claim that the gadget or device designed by him cannot be tampered. Another person endowed with more intelligence will be able to find flaws or make improvements in original design. Carrying out design improvements and plugging loopholes is a continuous process. If it was not so, there would not be anything like "virus" and "hacking" corrupting the computer systems and web sites; or newer models of of engineering products like cars, washing machines, etc flooding the market year after year. The system of obtaining feedbacks being sought by reputed manufacturers in Japan and elsewhere is only to carry out improvements and plug loopholes in their products. Even rules & regulations and laws are revised constantly plugging loopholes.Therefore, if someone says design of EVM is suspect and not tamper proof, government is expected to invite the person concerned to present his misgivings in a transparent way than harassing him. If not, the government's action is suspect.
By: KS Raghunathan
SC please intervene
ReplyDeleteThere is something rotten in the state of India. The Radia tapes clearly showed how the government's functioning was being manipulated by corporate interests; the virtual blackout also indicated how the fourth estate was largely in cahoots with the plunderers. Now the EVM scandal points at how elections could be manipulated; which the ruling government appears to be in a hurry to cover up. It might explain election results that were at odds to exit polling, which surfaced about the time that EVMs were put in place. The very future of Indian democracy is at stake! We are in danger of going the way of totalitarian China.
By: Charu