cVigil launched by Election Commission of India (ECI) for people to report model code violations

The Election Commission of India (ECI) has launched user-friendly android app “cVigil” for citizens to report any violation of Model Code of Conduct (MCC) during elections. The unique Internet-based beta version of the application ‘cVIGIL’ stands for “citizens’ vigil”. The app will be active only in States where elections have been announced. The application will be operationalised for the first time from the forthcoming Assembly elections in the States of Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Mizoram and Rajasthan. By using this app, citizens can immediately report on incidents of misconduct within minutes of having witnessed them and without having to rush to the office of the returning officer to lodge a complaint. The user will get 5 minutes to report an incident after having clicked a picture or a video. To prevent any misuse, the app will not allow uploading of the pre-recorded or old images and videos. The new app is expected to fill in all these gaps and create a fast-track complaint reception and redressal system.