Commission. As a consequential requirement, the Representation of the People (Amendment)
      Act, 2008 amending the Representation of the People Act, 1950 in conformity with the
      delimitation was enacted and made effective from 2008. By this amendment Act, the First
      Schedule and the Second Schedule to the Representation of the People Act, 1950 were replaced
      including other amendments. Further, a new Section 8(A) was inserted in the Representation of
      the People Act, 1950, which, provided that if the President of India is satisfied that the situation
      and the conditions prevailing in Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur or Nagaland are conducive
      for the conduct of delimitation exercise, he may, by order, rescind the said deferment orders
      issued under Section 10(A) of The Delimitation Act, 2002 in relation to any of those states and
      provide for the conduct of delimitation exercise in the states by the Election Commission of
      India. Further, the Election Commission of India, as per sub-Section (2 of Section 8(A) of The
      Representation of the People Act, 1950 has now been empowered to undertake fresh delimitation
      in respect to the aforementioned four states as soon as, may be after the deferment orders in
      respect to these states are rescinded. A fresh delimitation exercise will be initiated as and when
      conditions prevailing in these states become conducive to the conduct of delimitation exercise.
            After the issuance of the Presidential Order of 2008, the Delimitation Commission had
      issued eight (8) orders/corrigenda amending its earlier orders in respect of Karnataka, West
      Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, NCT of Delhi, Bihar and Gujarat.
      Reservation of Seats for Women
            During the years, a consistent demand has been made for giving adequate representation to
      women in Parliament and state legislatures. Such a demand finds support in the 73 and 74
      Amendments to the Constitution made in 1992. There was a proposal to amend the Constitution
      and to provide for reservation in Parliament and state legislatures.
      Electronic Voting Machines
            The use of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) was started in the country on experiment
      basis in 1982. It took more than two decades for the universal use of EVMs and during the
      General Elections to the Lok Sabha in 2004, EVMs were used in all polling stations across the
      country. Thereafter EVMs are being used in all the elections of the House of the People and state
      assemblies. The EVMs were developed at the behest of the Election Commission jointly with
      two Public Sector Undertakings, Bharat Electronics Limited, Bangalore (BEL) and Electronics
      Corporation of India Limited, Hyderabad (ECIL) in 1989.
      Electors’ Photo Identity Cards
            The use of electors’ photo identity cards by the Election Commission was started in 1993
      throughout the country to check bogus voting and impersonation of electors at elections. The
      electoral roll is the basis for issue of EPICs to the registered electors. The electoral rolls are
      normally revised every year with 1st January of the year as the qualifying date. Every Indian
      citizen who attains the age of 18 years or above as on that date is eligible for inclusion in the
      electoral roll and can apply for the same. Once he is registered in the roll, he would be eligible
      for getting an EPIC. The scheme of issuing the EPICs is, therefore, a continuous and ongoing
      process for the completion of which no time limit can be fixed.
            However, constant efforts are being made to issue EPIC to all such persons whose names
      have already been enrolled in the electoral roll, as early as possible. Some of them are: (i) special
      photography campaigns are organised to make EPIC of all voters; (ii) voters are allowed to give