Erase voting ink at your own risk!

March 26, 2014

New Delhi, Mar 26: NCP chief Sharad Pawar has waded into a controversy for asking his supporters to remove the indelible ink mark and vote twice in the coming Lok Sabha election. But makers of the ink say it cannot be erased so quickly and those who try to do so with chemicals may end up burning their fingers.

ink
According to C. Harakumar, marketing manager of Mysore Paints and Varnish Limited (MPVL), which will supply 2.2 million vials (of 10 ml each or 22,000 litres) for the election, the mark just cannot be "erased".

"If the voters try to remove the ink through any chemical concoction they might end up burning their fingers," Harakumar told IANS on the phone from Bangalore.

The company, a Karnataka government undertaking, is the sole manufacturer of the indelible ink, popularly known as voter's ink, which has been used in elections since 1962 to avoid fraudulent or multiple voting and malpractices.

"Once applied the ink mark remains on the finger for a few months, thus preventing the voter from casting his vote again. And this is because no chemical, detergent or oil can remove the ink from the finger," Harakumar noted.

The ink contains silver nitrate, which stains the nail on exposure to ultraviolet light, leaving a mark that is impossible to wash off and fades as new nail-growth occurs.

Perhaps Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief and union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar was not aware of this fact when he remarked to party workers in Mumbai on Sunday that they should vote once in their native place and then a second time in their work place.

When political parties slammed his remark, Pawar backtracked, saying it was made in "jest." But the Election Commission immediately took note of it.

According to former chief election commissioner N. Gopalaswami, "The ink is very reliable."

Speaking to IANS over phone from Chennai, Gopalaswami said that approximately one vial is used in each polling station, of which there are nearly 900,000 across the country. Each booth has 900-1,000 voters.

Harakumar said the 2.2 million vials to be supplied for the Lok Sabha poll was higher than the two million supplied during the 2009 elections.

A senior poll panel official told IANS that the Bangalore-based company specializes in manufacturing quality indelible ink in association with the Election Commission, the National Physical Laboratory and the National Research Development Corporation (NRDC).

It is the sole authorized supplier of this type of ink in India with an exclusive licence granted by the NRDC.

The MPVL was established in 1937 by the late Nalwadi Krishnaraja Wodeyar, the then maharaja of Mysore, as the "Mysore Lac and Paint Works Ltd". In 1989, it was renamed "Mysore Paints and Varnish Ltd."

Apart from supplying ink during elections in India, the firm has been exporting the product to 28 countries across the world since 1976.

The countries include Afghanistan, Turkey, South Africa, Nigeria, Nepal, Ghana, Papua-New Guinea, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Canada, Togo, Sierra Leone, Malaysia, the Maldives and Cambodia.

"Though we supply ink to various countries, India is the biggest consumer," said Harakumar.

In India, the ink is dabbed on with a stick, but is applied differently elsewhere.

While in Cambodia and the Maldives voters dip a finger into the ink, in Burkina Faso and Burundi, the ink is applied with a brush.

In Turkey it is applied with nozzles and in Afghanistan with pens.

Last year, the Mysore Paints and Varnish Ltd earned Rs.4 crore ($659,000) from ink exports.

Comments

Dong
 - 
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News Network
December 2,2025

Mangaluru, Dec 2: Mangaluru International Airport responded to a medical emergency late on Monday night. Air India Express flight IX 522, travelling from Riyadh to Thiruvananthapuram, was diverted to Mangaluru Airport after a passenger in his late 30s experienced a medical emergency on board.

The Airport’s Operations Control Centre received an alert regarding the passenger’s health condition. The airport activated its emergency response protocol, mobilising the airport medical team and coordinating with stakeholders including CISF, immigration, and customs. 

Upon landing, airport medical personnel attended to the passenger, assessed his condition, and arranged to shift him to a local tertiary-care hospital for further treatment. The passenger’s relatives accompanied the passenger, who incidentally received necessary medical care on board, which helped stabilise the situation.

Following the handling of the emergency, the flight departed for Thiruvananthapuram at 2:05 am on Tuesday.

"We appreciate the cooperation of all parties involved, and this incident reaffirms our ongoing commitment to prioritising passenger safety and readiness to respond to unforeseen emergencies with professionalism and care," the Airport spokesperson said. 

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coastaldigest.com news network
December 2,2025

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Udupi, Dec 2: A wave of regional pride is sweeping through Udupi district as Shagun S Verma Hegde, a talented Class 9 student from Christ King English Medium High School, Karkala, has been named the captain of the Indian National Team for the Under-15 Girls’ Volleyball Championship.

Shagun holds the unique distinction of being the sole player from Karnataka selected to represent the country in the prestigious international tournament. The championship, organized by the School Games Federation, is scheduled to take place in Shangluo, China, from December 3 to 13, where Shagun will lead the national squad.

A Remarkable Journey to the Top

Shagun’s selection is a testament to her dedication and exceptional skill on the court. Her journey included several rigorous rounds of selection:

•    She was the only player from Udupi district to qualify for the state-level selection camp.

•    Out of eight players from Karnataka who advanced to the national selection camp in Pune, Maharashtra, Shagun was the only one to secure a place in the final national squad.

•    The national camp saw participation from approximately 200 players, which was shortlisted to 23. Shagun not only made the final cut but was also ranked as the second-best player overall, solidifying her leadership role.

Shagun, who is the daughter of Sandesh Verma and Shruthiraj of Kallotte, Karkala, has trained under experienced coaches Santosh D’Souza, Jeevan D’Silva, Jairaj Poojary, and Ramesh. Her selection as the team captain has brought profound honour to her family, school, the Udupi district, and the entire state of Karnataka.

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News Network
December 2,2025

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Bengaluru: 'Nati koli saaru' (country chicken curry) considered one of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s favourites along with steaming hot idlis was on the breakfast menu at Deputy CM D K Shivakumar’s residence on Tuesday, according to official sources.

The spread also included 'nati koli' fry, vada and pongal, among other items, they said.

In an apparent show of unity, Siddaramaiah visited Shivakumar’s residence for breakfast, just days after the two leaders shared a meal amid a simmering power tussle in the state Congress.

Siddaramaiah drove to the Deputy CM’s residence in Sadashivanagar, where he was received by Shivakumar and his brother D K Suresh, who is a former Congress MP.

Suresh and Kunigal MLA H D Ranganath, a relative of Shivakumar, joined them for breakfast, which featured a mix of vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes.

Speaking to reporters later, Siddaramaiah said Shivakumar had invited him during his visit to the CM’s residence for breakfast on Saturday.

Asked about the difference between the two meals, the chief minister said, "At his (Shivakumar’s) house it was non-veg, while at my house it was veg. He is a vegetarian, I am a non-vegetarian. I had not prepared non-veg. I told DK to get chicken from the village as you won’t get the original in Bengaluru."

Shivakumar said he had initially invited Siddaramaiah to his residence, but the CM had suggested visiting his place first and reciprocating later. "It was a vegetarian breakfast at the CM’s house on Saturday," he noted.

"Today, I invited him (the CM) to my house. He enjoyed the breakfast, which had his Mysuru taste," Shivakumar added. At this point, Siddaramaiah remarked that Shivakumar’s wife is also from Mysuru.

Saturday’s breakfast at Siddaramaiah’s official residence, held as part of efforts by the Congress high command to ease tensions in the leadership dispute between the two, reportedly included idlis and sambar, according to official sources.

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