In a bid to ensure free and fair elections, the Election Commission of India (ECI) has introduced an innovative online application called ‘cVIGIL’ (Vigilant Citizens) for citizens to report violations of the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) during the election period.
The cVIGIL app empowers vigilant citizens to play a proactive and responsible role in the conduct of elections by allowing them to give live reports on incidents of MCC violation within minutes of witnessing them. Citizens no longer need to rush to the office of the Returning Officer in their assembly constituency to file complaints.
Once an MCC violation is reported through the cVIGIL app, it will be forwarded to a flying squad for investigation. In case of a registered complaint, a unique ID number will be generated, enabling the citizen to track the status of their complaint. However, anonymous complaints will not receive any identification numbers for tracking purposes.
It is important to note that the cVIGIL app can only be used to report cases of MCC violations. For other complaints, citizens can utilize the facility available on the ECI Citizen Services mobile app or website. The ECI encourages citizens to visit its official website, https://www.eci.gov.in/, for more information on the cVIGIL app, which is available for both Android and iOS devices. By leveraging technology and citizen participation, the Election Commission aims to ensure a level playing field and uphold the integrity of the electoral process in the country.
