Traditional Indelible Ink
Context: Maharashtra’s State Election Commission has decided to revert to traditional indelible ink for zilla parishad and panchayat samiti elections after complaints that marker-pen ink used in municipal polls could be wiped off.
About Traditional Indelible Ink:
What it is?
- Indelible ink is a permanent marking ink applied on a voter’s finger after voting to indicate that the person has already exercised their franchise and cannot vote again.
Origin:
- India began using indelible ink in 1962 (Third General Election) as a simple, low-cost and effective method to prevent impersonation and repeat voting.
Manufactured by:
- The ink is manufactured exclusively by Mysore Paints and Varnish Limited, a Karnataka government undertaking, using a closely guarded formula developed by India’s National Physical Laboratory.
Aim:
- To prevent multiple voting.
- To ensure the integrity and credibility of elections, especially in large-scale polls with millions of voters.
Key features:
- Silver nitrate–based formulation: Reacts with keratin in the skin and exposure to light, creating a chemical stain rather than a surface coating.
- Dark, long-lasting stain: Penetrates the upper skin layer and nail, making the mark clearly visible for days.
- Difficult to remove: Does not wash off with soap, water or common chemicals, ensuring voter marking remains intact.
- Standardised application point: Applied on the left index finger across the nail and cuticle, where removal is hardest.
- Extended visibility period: Skin mark fades in 3–4 days, while nail stain lasts 2–4 weeks until it grows out.
Significance:
- Acts as a visible and universally understood electoral safeguard.
- Enhances public trust in free and fair elections.
- Proven reliability over six decades of Indian elections.