Election Commission of India: The Election Commission of India (ECI) has implemented a streamlined, technology-driven system for generating Index Cards and Statistical Reports after elections. This initiative replaced the earlier manual methods that were often delayed and inefficient.
The Index Card is a non-statutory post-election statistical tool that provides constituency-level data on candidates, electors, vote share, gender-wise participation, and party performance. It serves as the basis for generating around 35 reports for Lok Sabha elections and 14 for State Assembly elections, helping evaluate voter turnout, women’s participation, and detailed constituency outcomes. Although the reports derived from Index Cards are meant exclusively for academic and research purposes, the primary and final data remains in the statutory forms maintained by the respective Returning Officers.
Earlier, data entry was done using manually filled physical index cards which were subsequently used for data entry into the online system to facilitate the generation of statistical reports, leading to delays in data availability and dissemination. However, the digitized Index Cards allow faster generation and sharing of statistical reports, making the information more accessible to all stakeholders including researchers, policymakers, journalists, and the public. This technological upgrade reflects the ECI’s commitment to improving transparency, accessibility, and the quality of democratic data dissemination in India.
Source: PIB
