In the context of elections in India, what is the correct full form of the abbreviation VVPAT?

Introduction / Context:
The Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail is an important technological addition to Electronic Voting Machines used in Indian elections. It allows voters to verify visually that their vote has been recorded in favour of the candidate they chose, and creates a paper trail for audit and recount purposes. This question tests basic familiarity with the correct expansion of the abbreviation VVPAT, which is a common topic in polity and current affairs.

Given Data / Assumptions:

The abbreviation in question is VVPAT.
All options expand the letters V, V, P, A and T in slightly different ways.
Some options use words like “Poll”, “Paper”, “Account”, “Audit” and “Verifiable”.
We assume the official terminology used by the Election Commission of India.

Concept / Approach:
The official term used in India and widely in election technology literature is Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail. The phrase emphasises that the system generates a paper record of the vote that the voter can verify and that this paper record can be used to audit the electronic count. The key words to remember are “Voter Verifiable”, “Paper” and “Audit Trail”. Options that replace “Audit” with “Account” or that change “Paper” to “Poll” are therefore incorrect.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Break down VVPAT into its letters: V, V, P, A, T. Step 2: Recall that the system is a paper based verification trail for voters. Step 3: The correct phrase is “Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail”, where the first V stands for Voter, the second V for Verifiable, P for Paper, A for Audit and T for Trail. Step 4: Compare with the given options and identify which one exactly matches this phrase. Step 5: Option C corresponds exactly to “Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail”, so it is the correct answer.

Verification / Alternative check:
One can verify this by recalling images of VVPAT devices used in Indian elections, where the full form is often printed on the machine body or in Election Commission handouts. Standard polity and current affairs books also expand VVPAT in this way. The word “Audit” is crucial because the purpose is to provide an auditable trail, not merely an account, and “Paper” is important because the system prints a paper slip visible to the voter.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Option A (Voter Verifiable Poll Audit Trail) incorrectly uses the word “Poll” instead of “Paper”. The system is based on a paper slip, not simply the idea of a poll.

Option B (Voter Verifying Paper Audit Trail) reverses the adjective and changes the sense slightly. The standard official term uses “Verifiable”, focusing on the fact that the vote can be verified by the voter.

Option D (Voter Verifiable Paper Account Trail) replaces “Audit” with “Account”. While accounting is related to record keeping, the adopted term is “Audit Trail”, which has a specific meaning in information systems and security.

Common Pitfalls:
A common error is to mark an option that looks almost correct but has one word altered, such as substituting Poll for Paper or Account for Audit. Another pitfall is confusion between “Verifiable” and “Verifying”. Examination setters deliberately include such near misses, so it is important to memorise the exact phrase and to read each option carefully before answering.

Final Answer:
In Indian elections, VVPAT stands for Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail.