Mysore Paints and Varnish Ltd (MPVL), the sole manufacturer of indelible ink, recently received its largest order from Election Commission of India (ECI) for 26.55 lakh vials of marker.
What is indelible Ink?
- This refers to the violet-coloured ink in India that is applied on a voter’s forefinger after he/she exercises her vote.
- It is known to contain silver nitrate and is manufactured in secrecy.
- Indelible Ink, popularly known as ‘Voter’s Ink’, is used to mark the voter’s finger during elections to avoid fraudulent, multiple voting and malpractices.
- It remains bright for about 10 days, after which it starts fading.
- Once applied, this mark indicates that the voter has cast a vote, and prevents that person to vote a second time.
- The ink typically contains silver nitrate which stains the skin on exposure to ultraviolet light leaving a mark that is impossible to wash off.
- It is removed over time as fresh skin cells replace the dead ones.
- It is applied on the voter’s finger with a brush from top of the nail to the bottom of the first joint of the left forefinger.
- In the case of proxy voting, ink is applied on the middle finger of the left hand of the proxy.
History of Indelible Ink used in India:
- In 1962, the ECI, Ministry of Law, National Physical Laboratory of India and National Research Development Corporation made an agreement with Mysore Paints and Varnish Ltd.
- CSIR National Physical Laboratory, New Delhi, had developed the chemical formula for the ink in the 1950s and transferred the technology to MPVL.
- It aimed to manufacture ink that couldn’t be wiped off easily.
- Mysore Paints was founded in 1937 by Maharaja Krishnaraja Wadiyar IV.
- The company is the sole supplier of indelible ink for civic body, Assembly and Parliamentary polls. It also supplies ink to about 25 countries.
Ref:Source
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