The cVIGIL app, which stands for Vigilant Citizen, empowers citizens to play an active role in ensuring fair elections
The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Saturday announced that Lok Sabha elections will be held in 7 phases, with counting set for June 4. The current government’s term ends on June 16. Alongside this, the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) has been put into effect.
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The MCC provides guidelines for political parties and leaders during the elections. They’re prohibited from announcing new schemes or criticising each other based on caste. Also, they can’t use communal sentiments or offer freebies to voters.
To monitor MCC violations, the Election Commission has introduced the cVIGIL app. This user-friendly app lets citizens report violations by uploading pictures, videos, or audio recordings. The app automatically detects the user’s location.
The cVIGIL app, which stands for Vigilant Citizen, empowers citizens to play an active role in ensuring fair elections. It’s available for download on both iOS and Android devices. Users can register complaints anonymously if they prefer.
The app is designed to report violations from the date of election notifications. It captures live photos/videos with location data, ensuring digital evidence for swift action.
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HERE’S HOW IT WORKS:
Step 1: Users capture a photo or record a 2-minute video of the violation and upload it to the app. The Geographic Information System (GIS) maps the location automatically. After submission, users receive a Unique ID in their mobile phone to track and receive follow up on their complaint’s status. The user can also report many incidents in this manner and will get a Unique ID for each report for follow up updates.
Step 2: After a complaint is raised, the information reaches the District Control Room and is assigned to a Field Unit, which includes Flying Squads and Surveillance Teams. These units use a mobile app called ‘cVIGIL Investigator’ to navigate to the location and take action.
Step 3: Once the Field Unit responds to the complaint, they send a field report through the Investigator App to the returning officer. If the complaint is verified, it’s forwarded to the Election Commission’s National Grievance Portal, and the citizen is informed of the status within 100 minutes.
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ADDITIONAL INFO:
The cVIGIL app has built-in features to prevent misuse and is strictly for reporting MCC violations. Any anonymous complaints receive no status updates. Registered users can also check status updates on the official website of the portal.
The app becomes active from the date of notifications for bye-election/assembly/parliamentary elections. Complaints unrelated to violations or of a personal nature may be dismissed. Citizens are encouraged to use the Election Commission’s main website or call the National Contact Centre at 1800111950 or State Contact Centre at 1950 for other types of complaints.
