In a significant ruling, the Supreme Court dismissed petitions advocating for 100% verification of votes cast on Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) via paper slips from the VVPAT system. Justices Sanjiv Khanna and Dipankar Datta, in separate judgments, emphasized the importance of balanced criticism to foster trust in democratic institutions.

However, the Court issued directives to bolster election security. It mandated sealing and securing the symbol loading units (SLUs) after symbol loading into EVMs, with candidates and representatives signing the seals. Additionally, it ordered the verification of 5% of EVMs' burnt memory semicontrollers by engineers post-election, upon candidates' request within 7 days of results. Costs for this verification will be borne by the requesting candidate, refunded if no tampering is found.

The Court's stance underscores its reluctance to micromanage the Election Commission's affairs while ensuring enhanced accountability and transparency in the electoral process. Despite concerns about public trust and comparisons with other voting systems, the Court affirms the reliability of India's current electoral framework, including the use of EVMs with VVPATs, in maintaining the integrity of democratic elections.