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Which was the first state in India where Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) were used in an election?
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Answer: Option A — Kerala
Detailed Solution
Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) were used for the first time in India in May 1982, in the by-election to the Paravur (North Paravur) Assembly constituency in Ernakulam district, Kerala. They were used at 50 of the constituency's 84 polling stations.
What happened next:
The Supreme Court later set aside the election result in the Paravur constituency in 1984, because there was no law at that time allowing the use of EVMs. A fresh poll was held using ballot papers.
In 1988, Parliament amended the Representation of the People Act, 1951, by adding Section 61A, which allows the Election Commission to use voting machines.
EVMs were used on a large scale for the first time in 1998, in 16 Assembly constituencies of Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Delhi.
In 1999, EVMs were used in all the Assembly constituencies of Goa, making it the first state to use them for an entire state election.
In 2004, EVMs were used in all 543 constituencies in the Lok Sabha elections for the first time.
About EVMs:
- They are made by two public sector companies: Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL), Bengaluru, and Electronics Corporation of India Limited (ECIL), Hyderabad.
- An EVM has two units: a control unit (with the polling officer) and a balloting unit (with the voter).
- They run on batteries and do not need electricity, so they can be used in remote areas.
- They are standalone machines and are not connected to the internet or any network.
VVPAT (Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail): it prints a paper slip showing the candidate the voter chose, which can be seen for seven seconds. It was first used in 2013 in the Noksen Assembly constituency in Nagaland. Since 2019, VVPATs are used with all EVMs in Lok Sabha elections.
NOTA ("None of the Above") was added to EVMs in 2013 after a Supreme Court judgement.
Why not the other options?
- ✗Gujarat, Goa and Rajasthan used EVMs later; Goa was the first to use them in all its constituencies (1999).
Quick tip
Remember: First use of EVMs = Paravur by-election, Kerala (1982); Section 61A of RPA (1988); all constituencies of a state = Goa (1999); all Lok Sabha seats = 2004; VVPAT first = Noksen, Nagaland (2013).
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Firsts in India & World — Preparation
This question tests your understanding of Firsts in India & World, a key topic in the General Knowledge section. The detailed solution above uses a step-by-step approach to show the reasoning, and where available, a shortcut that helps you solve similar questions in under 90 seconds during the actual exam.
This topic covers the first persons and events in India and the world: the first Indian to win a Nobel Prize, the first woman to hold major offices, the first to climb Everest or reach space, and India's first institutions, newspapers, railways and satellites. It also covers the largest, longest, highest and smallest records in India and the world. These are pure memory questions, so revise them as short lists by theme: first women, first in sports, first in science and space, and first in governance. Be careful with the exact wording, such as 'first Indian' versus 'first person of Indian origin', or 'first woman President' versus 'first woman Prime Minister', since options are often designed to exploit this. Practise the firsts in India and the world questions below, written in the style of the general awareness sections of exams such as SSC, banking, railways, CUET GAT, MAH CET and CLAT. Each question comes with a detailed explanation that adds related facts, so every question helps you revise more than one point.