Ahead of the first elections in 1952, the ECI asked the scientists who developed the ink at the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research to improve the ink’s drying time.
A trial was then conducted in a mock election in a rural and an urban constituency in Orissa. Many women and men attended, and none objected. Attempts to rub off the ink by different means were unsuccessful and proved that it was robust.
(Published 18 April 2024, 13:02 IST)