New Delhi: In this
season, Indian Institute of Technology, Madras witnessed an innovative stride in democracy by conducting its student body poll using
blockchain
technology. The initiative, led by students of ‘Webops and Blockchain Club’ at the Centre for Innovation (CFI),
IIT-Madras
, has now evolved into a startup, with both governmental and private organisations employing its software for managing land and health records.
Originally conceived as a CSR initiative supported by a leading Indian tech company and department of science and technology, the project aimed to address challenges posed by Covid-19, particularly in accessing medical records and tracking health conditions across geographical borders.
Utilisation of blockchain technology in recent IIT-Madras student legislative council election has garnered recognition in India Book of Records. The team of researchers behind this endeavour pointed out that voting technology is just one among numerous domains where blockchain can revolutionise existing practices.
Envisioning a future where election processes in various sectors embrace secure and transparent blockchain applications for remote voting, Prof Prabhu Rajagopal, faculty-in-charge, said: “This student-led project holds immense transformative potential, promising to reshape conduct of elections.”
On the security issue on blockchain technology, more so as the polls are conducted online, the team believes the “system is impossible to hack.” Election, conducted online, underscores the team’s confidence in the technology’s security.
Anirudh Varna, a fourth-year BTech student involved in the project, highlighted the near-impenetrable security of blockchain, requiring malicious actors to gain control of over 50% of the network’s nodes simultaneously, a feat deemed practically unattainable.
On security concerns of online blockchain-based polls, Rajagopal emphasised the it’s capacity to foster trust and ensure integrity of poll process.
