cVIGIL App
A mobile app called cVIGIL App was launched on July 3, 2018, by the Chief Election Commissioner Shri O.P. Rawat along with the Election Commissioners Shri Sunil Arora and Shri Ashok Lavasa for the citizens to report any violation of the model code of conduct during the elections. cVIGIL is easy to operate and user-friendly Android app.
The app can be operated only when the elections are announced. Also, the beta version of the app will be made available for the public and the election staff to download so that they can get familiar with its features and send the dummy data and info. Once the trial is successful, the application will be made available for general use by all from the forthcoming Assembly Elections in the states of Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh,
Mizoram, and Rajasthan. During the four state Assembly Elections, the practical use of the app will also serve as a pilot initiative before it is put into extensive use during the next Lok Sabha General Elections.
How to Download the cVIGIL App
The cVIGIL app can be downloaded from the Google Play store easily. The app is listed in the Productivity category of the app store. To know more about the app, you can visit the website of Election Commission of India. The app needs an Android smartphone along with a good camera, a strong internet connection, and GPS access. The app is compatible with all the latest Android smartphones.
The operating system should be Android Jellybean and above. The app promises everyone in the election-bound state to report violations of Model Code of Conduct (MCC) which will be in effect from the date of announcement of elections and will continue till the day after the polls. The app will enable the citizens to immediately report on incidents of misconduct within seconds of having witnessed them and without any need to rush to the office of the returning officer to lodge a complaint.
The citizen only has to click a picture or record a video of at least two minutes of the scene of violation of the model code. Then the photo or the video has to be uploaded in the app. Using the Geographic Information System, the app will do the automated location mapping. The citizen will then get a unique id, which will be kept confidential.
How to Install cVIGIL App
Once you have downloaded the app using the browser of your choice, click on install to install the app. The app can be downloaded and installed on Android devices compatible with 16 API and above. You can also download the APK of cVIGIL app and run it using popular android emulators. The app also has inbuilt features to prevent the misuse of it.
The app will take complaints only about Model of Code of Conduct violations. The app also will not allow uploading pre-recorded or old photos or videos. You also cannot save the pictures in your gallery from the app. Lastly, the app will be active only in States where elections have been announced.