Gujarat's oneline voting site is "not trustworthy", is "insecure", warn top web browsers Firefox, Chrome

Screenshot of Gujarat's online voting site

By A Representative
The Gujarat State Election Commission's (SEC's) “offer” a few days back to allow the voters to the state's municipal corporation elections, likely next month, that they could register on its website to avail of the “opportunity” offered by it for online voting, has failed security check on selected, more secure computer devices. As one visited the website's link for registering on a laptop for online voting, https://onlinevotinggujarat.gov.in/, a security alert declared that the site is not safe.
The SEC is responsible for holding elections to local bodies – municipal corporations, municipalities, and panchayats. It has offered to allow online voting through personal computers sitting at home in major cities such as Ahmedabad, Vadodara, Surat, Rajkot, Bhavnagar and Jamnagar. Municipalities have not been “allowed” the facility.
Browsed on Firefox on the highly-secure Ubuntu (Linux) operating system, after visiting the SEC's website, http://www.sec.gujarat.gov.in/index.htm, which prominently displays the photograph of ex-state chief secretary and SEC chairman Varesh Sinha, as one clicks on “Visit for Online Voting”, one is promptly directed to the online voting site link.
However, instead of allowing one to register for online voting, Firefox prominently declares, “This Connection is Untrusted.”
The message from Firefox reads, “You have asked Firefox to connect securely to onlinevotinggujarat.gov.in, but we can't confirm that your connection is secure.” It adds "Normally, when you try to connect securely, sites will present trusted identification to prove that you are going to the right place. However, this site's identity can't be verified.”
Asking the question “What Should I Do?”, the browser replies, "If you usually connect to this site without problems, this error could mean that someone is trying to impersonate the site, and you shouldn't continue.”
As one clicks on “technical details” to find out the SEC's online registration site, the browser declares, “onlinevotinggujarat.gov.in uses an invalid security certificate. The certificate is not trusted because the issuer certificate is unknown.” It adds, “The server might not be sending the appropriate intermediate certificates. An additional root certificate may need to be imported.”
This page section ends with the following remark: “(Error code: sec_error_unknown_issuer).” Then it takes one to another link asking, whether “I understand the risk”, adding with the following remark, “If you understand what's going on, you can tell Firefox to start trusting this site's identification.”
Even then, the browser continues to warn, “Even if you trust the site, this error could mean that someone is tampering with your connection. Don't add an exception unless you know there's a good reason why this site doesn't use trusted identification.” Thereafter it takes one to “Add Exceptions...” and leaves one to take the “risk”.
Opening the site through a top branded tablet on Chrome browser had a similar result. With a big red icon of a bag having a cross in the middle, the warning says, "Your connection is not private", adding, "Attackers might be trying to steal your information from https://onlinevotinggujarat.gov.in (for example passwords, messages, or credit cards)."
Chrome underlines, "This server could not prove that it is https://onlinevotinggujarat.gov.in; its security certificate is not trusted by your device's operating system. This may be caused by a misconfiguration or an attack intercepting your connection."
It adds, "Proceed to https://onlinevotinggujarat.gov.in (unsafe)." Opening the SEC site from a desktop computer, however, did not result in the warning both on Chrome and on Firefox. It is suspected that the website developers have not have resolved security issues completely before developing the site.
The SEC's “untrustworthiness” comes days after the Supreme Court stay on elections to Gujarat's municipal corporations on a petition filed by a Vadodara citizen, who questioned the formation of new wards for polls, saying they “violated” the principle of reservation.

Comments

NYT: RSS 'infiltrates' institutions, 'drives' religious divide under Modi's leadership

By Jag Jivan A comprehensive New York Times investigation published on December 26, 2025, chronicles the rise of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) — characterized as a far-right Hindu nationalist organization — from a shadowy group founded in 1925 to the world's largest right-wing force, marking its centenary in 2025 with unprecedented influence and mainstream acceptance. Prime Minister Narendra Modi , who joined the RSS as a young boy and later became a full-time campaigner before being deputized to its political wing in the 1980s, delivered his strongest public tribute to the group in his August 2025 Independence Day address. Speaking from the Red Fort , he called the RSS a "giant river" with dozens of streams touching every aspect of Indian life, praising its "service, dedication, organization, and unmatched discipline." The report describes how the RSS has deeply infiltrated India's institutions — government, courts, police, media, and academia — ...

Why experts say replacing MGNREGA could undo two decades of rural empowerment

By A Representative A group of scientists, academics, civil society organisations and field practitioners from India and abroad has issued an open letter urging the Union government to reconsider the repeal of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) and to withdraw the newly enacted Viksit Bharat–Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) Act, 2025. The letter, dated December 27, 2025, comes days after the VB–G RAM G Bill was introduced in the Lok Sabha on December 16 and subsequently approved by both Houses of Parliament, formally replacing the two-decade-old employment guarantee law.

Domestic vote-bank politics 'behind official solidarity' with Bangladeshi Hindus

By Sandeep Pandey, Faisal Khan The Indian government has registered a protest with Bangladesh over the mob lynching of two Hindus—Deepu Chandra Das in Mymensingh and Amrit Mandal in Rajbari. In its communication, the government cited a report by the Association of Hindus, Buddhists and Christian Unity Council, which claims that more than 2,900 incidents of killings, arson, and land encroachments targeting minorities have taken place since the interim government assumed power in Bangladesh.

Investment in rule of law a corporate imperative, not charity: Business, civil society leaders

By A Representative In a compelling town hall discussion hosted at L.J School of Law , prominent voices from industry and civil society underscored that corporate investment in strengthening the rule of law is not an act of charity but a critical business strategy for building a safer, stronger, and developed India by 2047. The dialogue, part of the Unmute podcast series, examined the intrinsic link between ethical business conduct , robust legal frameworks, and sustainable national development, against the sobering backdrop of India ranking 79th out of 142 countries on the global Rule of Law Index .

ArcelorMittal faces global scrutiny for retreat from green steel, job cuts, and environmental violations

By Jag Jivan ArcelorMittal is facing mounting criticism after cancelling or delaying nearly all of its major green steel projects across Europe, citing an “unsupportive policy environment” from the European Union . The company has shelved projects in Germany , Belgium , and France , while leaving the future of its Spanish decarbonisation plan uncertain. The decision comes as global unions warn that more than 5,500 jobs are at risk across its operations, including 4,000 in South Africa , 1,400 in Europe, and 160 in Canada .

From colonial mercantilism to Hindutva: New book on the making of power in Gujarat

By Rajiv Shah Professor Ghanshyam Shah ’s latest book, “ Caste-Class Hegemony and State Power: A Study of Gujarat Politics ”, published by Routledge , is penned by one of Gujarat ’s most respected chroniclers, drawing on decades of fieldwork in the state. It seeks to dissect how caste and class factors overlap to perpetuate the hegemony of upper strata in an ostensibly democratic polity. The book probes the dominance of two main political parties in Gujarat—the Indian National Congress and the BJP—arguing that both have sustained capitalist growth while reinforcing Brahmanic hierarchies.

2025 was not just a bad year—it was a moral failure, it normalised crisis

By Atanu Roy* The clock has struck midnight. 2025 has passed, and 2026 has arrived. Firecrackers were already bursting in celebration. If this is merely a ritual, like Deepavali, there is little to comment on. Otherwise, I find 2025 to have been a dismal year, weighed down by relentless odds—perhaps the worst year I have personally witnessed.

Gig workers’ strike halts platforms, union submits demands to Labour Ministry

By A Representative India’s gig economy witnessed an partial disruption on December 31, 2025, as a large number of delivery workers, app-based service providers, and freelancers across the country participated in a nationwide strike called by the Gig & Platform Service Workers Union (GIPSWU). The strike, which followed days of coordinated protests, shut down major platforms including Zomato , Swiggy , Blinkit , Zepto , Flipkart , and BigBasket in several areas.

Can global labour demand absorb India’s growing workforce?

By N.S. Venkataraman* Over the past eleven years, India has claimed significant economic growth , emerging as the world’s fourth-largest economy. With the Government of India continuing to pursue economic and industrial development initiatives, this growth momentum is expected to continue in the medium term.

Search This Blog