New Delhi, Feb 21 : Mysore Paints and Varnish Ltd has been assigned the responsibility of supplying over 26 lakh vials of indelible ink, renowned for leaving a distinct purple mark on a voter’s left forefinger, to various states for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.
The Karnataka government undertaking has been the exclusive manufacturer of this ink since 1962, specifically for the Election Commission. The indelible ink serves as proof that an individual has cast their vote.
“The total order amounts to around 26.5 lakh vials of ink. Currently, approximately 60 percent of the total material has been dispatched to the states,” stated K Mohammed Irfan, the managing director of Mysore Paints and Varnish Ltd, in an interview with PTI. He confirmed that around 24 states have already received their allotted share of the ink, with the remaining order scheduled for completion around March 20.
A 10 ml vial of ink is designed to mark the fingers of approximately 700 people, considering that a polling station typically accommodates around 1,200 voters. With over 12 lakh polling stations anticipated for the elections in April-May, the demand for indelible ink remains substantial.
Originally developed by the Council of Industrial Research-National Physical Laboratory based in Delhi, the ink’s indelible mark is expected to last for three days when applied to the skin but lingers for several weeks on the fingernail until it grows out.
Notably, during the COVID-19 outbreak, the Election Commission permitted the use of the ink for non-electoral purposes. Some states utilized it to identify individuals under home quarantine.
The ink, which was initially supplied in glass vials, is now distributed in plastic containers. According to Irfan, the highest order came from Uttar Pradesh, with the lowest from Lakshadweep.
In cases where an elector’s left forefinger is missing, the ink can be applied to any other finger on their left hand. If all fingers on the left hand are missing, the ink will be applied to any finger on the right hand. The ink’s design was a pioneering achievement by the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) in the 1950s to counter fraudulent voting.
This indelible ink, containing silver nitrate and a solvent like alcohol for fast drying, is water-based and diffuses into the skin spontaneously. It is exported to more than 25 countries, each applying the ink in distinct ways based on local specifications. The ink’s sensitivity to light necessitates storage in amber-colored plastic containers to protect it from direct sun exposure.
