Draft:Pawan Kumar Sharma (activist)

Pawan Kumar Sharma or Pawan Jury (born 16 August 1975) is an Indian activist opposed to electronic voting machines (EVMs). He has spread information about the alleged vulnerabilities and flaws associated with EVMs, advocating for their replacement with traditional paper ballots. He is also working to enact Right to Recall Law on prime minister post in India.

Early life and education
Sharma was born in Bhilwara, Rajasthan, India. He graduated from Maharishi Dayanand Saraswati University in commerce division.

Activism
Sharma's activism gained prominence in 2017 when the Election Commission of India made two significant changes in VVPAT machines:


 * 1) ECI changed VVPAT's glass from transparent to an opaque glass or black glass in which front side is mirror and back side is transparent.
 * 2) Duration of light inside VVPAT is decreased from 15 seconds to 7 seconds.

He became vocal about what he perceives as the shortcomings of EVMs and their potential to compromise the integrity of the electoral process. In January 2024 Sharma participated in a public demonstration held at Jantar Mantar, New Delhi to protest against use of EVM in which Sharma gave demonstration of his alleged working model of EVM and its video went viral on social media platforms and also shared by various prominent YouTube news channels such as National Dastak, Punya Prasun Bajpai and Ajit Anjum.

Allegations and concerns
Sharma, along with other activists and critics, has raised several concerns regarding the use of EVMs in Indian elections. Some of the key issues highlighted by Sharma include:


 * Lack of Transparency: Sharma has criticized the lack of transparency in the functioning of EVMs and VVPAT, arguing that the opaque glass used in VVPAT make it suspicious and doubt full.
 * Vulnerability to Manipulation: He has expressed concerns about the susceptibility of EVMs to tampering and hacking, which could potentially undermine the democratic process and lead to electoral fraud.
 * Alternatives: Sharma has suggested alternative voting methods, such as paper ballots as more reliable and transparent alternatives to EVMs.

Significant efforts
Sharma has been involved in various efforts aimed at addressing the issues surrounding EVMs. He has organised campaigns calling for electoral reforms and greater scrutiny of the use of EVMs in Indian elections. He also made a non profit organisation named EVM Hatao Sena for demonstration against EVMs.

Sharma also organised demonstration alleged working model of EVM-VVPAT in public at various cities including New Delhi, Mumbai, Jaipur, Varanasi, Lucknow, Bangalore, Indore, Patna,    Kolkata and Odisha  in India to give momentum to movement of revoking EVMs in Indian electoral system.

His associates and members of EVM Hatao Sena also organised a demonstration of alleged working model in public in Mumbai.

Reception
Sharma's activism has garnered both support and criticism from various quarters. Supporters view him as a champion of electoral integrity and transparency. The Indian National Congress uploaded an interview with Sharma on their official YouTube channel. Critics have accused him of spreading misinformation and undermining confidence in the electoral process. Some critics argue that Sharma promotes conspiracy theories and is attempting to de-legitimize electoral outcomes.

Response from authorities
Government authorities and election officials have defended the use of EVMs, citing their efficiency, accuracy, and security features. They have dismissed allegations of tampering and emphasized the safeguards in place to prevent manipulation of the voting machines. Election Commission Gujarat tweeted about EVM Hatao Sena demonstration at Mumbai press club and called it as fake. The Election Commission of India tweeted about Sharma's demonstration at Press Club of India, saying that the EVM used in that demonstration was not an original EVM that is used by ECI in election.