Hon. CEC of India Inaugurates State of the Art Facility — Integrated Election Complex
29 April, 2022 Bakhtawarpur, Delhi. The state-of-the-art, Integrated Election Complex — was inaugurated by Hon. Chief Election Commissioner of India — Shri Sushil Chandra Ji, and Hon Election Commissioner of India — Shri Anup Chandra Pandey Ji, Hon. Chief Electrol Officer of NCT — Dr. Ranbir Singh Ji, along with other prominent officials of 11 district election officers/district magistrates were present for the inauguration.
“Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) are safe and are the pride of India. So far 350 crore voters have used this EVM machine in four parliamentary elections and other Assembly elections, so it has established its credibility. Therefore, each and everyone should have in his mind very clear that this machine is a pride of India, says Chief Election Commissioner — Shri Sushil Chandra Ji
“We should have to develop a standard operating process that this kind of complex can also be made in other States as well so that we can feel proud of our EVM machines which are quite safe and the home of EVM is absolutely safe,” he said.
He said that the Complex, which is conceptualized with all features and administrative safety protocols for storage, security, and movement of EVMs, has elevated the benchmarks for all other State CEOs to emulate.
Dignitaries holding a Coffee Table Book and a Documentary film related to voter awareness campaigns organized during 2021–22 by Chief Electoral Officer Delhi were also released by CEC Shri Sushil Chandra during the inaugural event.
Integrated Election Complex is a multipurpose facility outfitted with vaults specifically designed for storing and maintaining Electronic Voting Machines and VVPATs.
The entire architecture is designed in such a way that the entire life cycle of each machine is completed within the complex without any assistance from the outside community.
Project Features: Every floor of the complex is equipped with a multipurpose room for activities such as FLC of EVMs and VVPATs, meetings, and training.
Proper care is been taken care for natural light to enter in, carbon emissions, and air ventilation.
There are two control rooms, 80 CCTV cameras, and 2 control rooms.
The main purpose of EC was to ensure compliance with security and other EC-mandated protocols.
The aesthetic and educative value of the IEC has been enhanced by a generous display of election-theme artwork.
IEC is the Architectural Symbol of Elections and its Legacy:
The largest democracy in the world has seen its share of revolution, and the instruments of democracy have also changed over time. At present, the most versatile instrument of democracy might be the EVM(Electronic Voting Machine), and the Integrated Election Centre(IEC) is its home.
IEC is all about voting and the management of EVMs. It has a functional, democratic and symbolic value that shapes the new era of voting in India. The structure represents strength as it opens its gate into the FLC (First Level Checks) hall.
The government of India did well-grounded research to make a positive change in the ways of election management. A proposal was made by the Chief Electoral Officer(Govt of Delhi), to construct a structure of architectural excellence to house the EVMs (Electronic Voting Machines). The proposal further suggested that it should not just house the EVMs, but also sustain the whole life cycle of an EVM from the time it’s made till it reaches the election booths.
So the design incorporated many such elements, and it is now standing tall as a solid structure on-site, ready to be unveiled. The name “Integrated Election Centre (IEC)” abides by the design of the building. By applying Job’s to be done theory, we could explore functions & critical services to be provided for the life cycle of EVM they are:
Storage:
EVMs are a protocol-driven sector that is currently being handled by rental-based models that is not safe and costs a ton. Therefore, the first and basic requirement from IEC is quality storage. By law, the EVMs are stored separately based on districts and constituency. There are vaults and racks made to keep EVMs of all sizes. EVMs have three modules that vary from district to district, and so storage is designed to be flexible. Studies are done on the storage of heavy electronic machinery, and the best methodology is adopted for this mass storage facility.
Repair and Maintenance:
The repair and maintenance of the EVMs are done by trained engineers who follow a predefined standard protocol. Training can be anything from officer training to technician training. There is also an inspection of the EVMs done by the political parties before any election to achieve neutrality. All this happens in the FLC hall as mentioned above.
Security:
The building is designed by keeping in mind the security protocols to be followed for the storage of EVMs. For starters, all the vaults and racks are at the rear end of the structure, making space for the demonstration center and the offices at the front end. There are two perimeters in the building: outer perimeter and inner perimeter. Only CRPF is allowed in the inner perimeters of the building. The building has security levels that give clearance only to verified personnel and delivery trucks. The vaults have a locking-key mechanism that has jurisdictional-based access.
Movement/Transportation of EVMs :
The EVMs are often moved from one place to another because of various reasons. The architectural design of the building makes it easy for internal movements. The crane system is in place for transportation and other modern methods of warehouse management.
Disaster Management:
The safety of the EVMs is of priority. In case of electric fires or any other unforeseen circumstances, the damage done to the EVMs is next to none. The vaults and racks of storage are fully protected against such disasters and even bacterial growth. The building houses other safety protocols that can withstand natural disasters minimizing the damage done to its resources. The country will see the dawn of a new age in handling electronic voting machines. IEC serves as a symbol of transformation and paves a way for future architectural spectacles. Its complex framework and logistical flow save cost and labor. Its architecture is also a symbol of the election commission’s democratic endeavors.
Read more about the project here
More from Gallery :
Few other Landmark projects delivered by the Creators Architects:
- World Heartfulness centre, Hyderabad (World’s largest meditation centre)
- Pushidham, Godhra (World’s largest Vaishnav temple)
- Central Park, Guwahati (Integrated development of urban-scale)
- DTU Raj Soin Hall, Delhi (One of it’s kind sports stadium and auditorium )
- BMU Cambridge school, Surat (India’s first high rise school)
- Apex Hospital, Jaipur (A unique user centric quaternary centre)
- Integrated Election Commission ( India’s first house for EVC )
- Botanical Garden, Guwahati ( Central Park )
You could reach us at — www.creatorsarchitects.com
You can learn more about innovation from Utssav Gupta at — www.utssavgupta.com
