Observe Voter Identity cards of your family members and identify the data fields under which data are organised. Are they same for all?

Question

Accepted Answer

> [!TLDR]
> A Voter Identity card (EPIC) is a real-life example of **structured data**: every card carries the same set of fields — EPIC number, name, relation's name, sex, date of birth, address, photo — with different values per person. Identical fields across all records are exactly what lets the Election Commission store, search and verify crores of voters.

## What the activity reveals

Examine any family member's Voter ID and you will find the information organised under these fields:

| Field | What it holds | Example of the *kind* of value |
|---|---|---|
| EPIC No. | Unique 10-character card ID | An alphanumeric code |
| Name | Elector's full name | Text |
| Father's / Mother's / Husband's Name | Relation used for identification | Text |
| Sex | Gender of the elector | M / F / Third gender |
| Date of Birth / Age | When the elector was born | A date (or age in years) |
| Address | Residential address | Text |
| Photograph | Elector's photo | An image |

## Are the fields the same for all?

**Yes.** Compare two or more cards in the family: the *field names* (the structure) are identical on every card; only the *values* differ — each person has their own EPIC number, name, and so on. The one structural variation you may notice is which **relation** is printed (father's, mother's, or husband's name), but the slot itself — "relation's name" — exists on every card.

## Why this matters for informatics

This is precisely how a **table (relation)** in a database works:

- each **field** (EPIC No., Name, …) is a **column/attribute**,
- each person's card is a **row/record**, …

Q.Observe Voter Identity cards of your family members and identify the data fields under which data are organised. Are they same for all?

Concept understanding — Voter ID Data Fields

What the activity reveals

Are the fields the same for all?

Why this matters for informatics

Field	What it holds	Example of the kind of value
EPIC No.	Unique 10-character card ID	An alphanumeric code
Name	Elector's full name	Text
Father's / Mother's / Husband's Name	Relation used for identification	Text
Sex	Gender of the elector	M / F / Third gender
Date of Birth / Age	When the elector was born	A date (or age in years)
Address	Residential address	Text
Photograph	Elector's photo	An image

Q.Observe Voter Identity cards of your family members and identify the data fields under which data are organised. Are they same for all?

What the activity reveals

Are the fields the same for all?

Why this matters for informatics

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