The Supreme Court on Friday (April 26) rejected the demand for 100% verification of Voter Verified Paper Audit Trails (VVPATs) in Indian elections. A Bench of Justices Sanjiv Khanna and Dipankar Datta pronounced the verdict. Dismissing all petitions seeking the complete cross-verification of votes cast using Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs), the SC also rejected a return to the earlier ballot paper system for elections — something which opposition parties like the Congress and the Trinamool Congress (TMC) demanded in recent years. SC TO HEAR PETITIONS ON MANDATORY VVPAT (April 4) A series of petitions have sought a complete count of VVPAT slips as opposed to the current practice of verification of votes in only a few EVMs in each Assembly segment through the slips. SC On Mandatory VVPAT [update] explained for UPSC WHAT IS THE CURRENT PRACTICE? The current practice is verification of votes cast in only 5 polling stations of each assembly constituency through the slips. Making it universal will definitely increase difficulties for the Election Commission of India. (ECI) IS THIS DEMAND FIRST OF ITS KIND? No. In Subramaniyam Swamy v/s ECI case in 2013, it was petitioned that 50% of the VVPAT machines in each constituency should be randomly verified. Petitioners this time also have taken reference of that case.