Syllabus: GS-II: Electoral Reform

Why in the news?

The Election Commission of India (ECI) has announced a nationwide Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls following controversy over the 2025 SIR in Bihar. While a fresh pan-India SIR is planned ahead of major Assembly polls in 2026, the CEC has excluded Assam for now.

What is a Special Intensive Revision (SIR)?

• SIR is an intensive, on-ground exercise that requires verification of all registered voters by booth-level officers (BLOs). 
• Statutory basis: Section 21, Representation of the People Act, 1950 empowers the ECI to revise rolls and to order special revision at any time for reasons to be recorded.
• Purpose: To correct for death, migration, duplications, minors on rolls, address changes, and other infirmities so that the roll reflects the current body of electors.
• Previous Instance: The last such intensive revision of electoral rolls in India was undertaken two decades ago.
  • This year, the SIR exercise in Bihar was shrouded by a massive controversy and confusion on the ground.
• About the Pan-India SIR: To be held in Andaman & Nicobar, Chhattisgarh, Goa, Gujarat, Kerala, Lakshadweep, MP, Puducherry, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, UP, and West Bengal.

Why frequent revisions matter

• India has high population mobility, significant mortality churn, and urban in-migration. Without periodic SIRs, rolls inflate, undermining credibility, polling logistics, and enabling impersonation.
  

The Bihar flashpoint: timing vs necessity

• • The opposition alleged that the SIR exercise in Bihar was a smokescreen behind which lakhs of people, from marginalised communities were being disenfranchised.

• The matter of Bihar’s SIR controversy reached the Supreme Court, which, however, allowed the exercise to progress with modifications.

• Need for SIR was legitimate; the problem was timing: compressing a state-wide SIR ~3 months before elections and over ~1 month fed a perception of haste and political bias, despite the ECI’s technical justifications (death/migration/duplicates).
• Lesson: SIRs must be sequenced well before poll notice, leaving ample time for claims/objections, appeals, and independent audit.
  

The Assam exception

• ECI stance: “Citizenship issue in Assam is under the Supreme Court; revision will be announced separately.”
  
• Context: Assam’s citizenship is governed by Section 6A of the Citizenship Act, 1955 (Assam-specific cut-off), and the NRC update has been conducted under SC supervision.
  
• Implication: Any SIR in Assam must be harmonised with the final legal position on citizenship/NRC to avoid wrongful inclusion/exclusion, litigation, and erosion of trust—hence a bespoke schedule.
  

SIR: operational building blocks (what “good” looks like)

• House-to-house verification by BLOs; digitised field capture (e.g., GARUDA app), geo-tagged evidence for deletions.
  
• De-duplication through ERONet with strict privacy safeguards (Aadhaar seeding voluntary, no denial of enrolment for non-seeding).
  
• Public scrutiny windows: wide publicity, booth-level camps, mobile counters in slums/char areas/tea gardens.
  
• Grievance redressal: time-bound disposal of Forms 6/7/8, appeal lanes, and speaking orders for deletion.
  
• Third-party/academic audits in sample booths; political party BLAs to observe.
  
• Social inclusion audits to check impacts on marginalised groups (migrants, homeless, disabled, women in shelter homes).
  
• Cut-off dates & documentation: clear list of acceptable docs; alternate routes for homeless/displaced (certification by designated officers).
  
• Transparency portal: booth-wise pre- and post-SIR dashboards (additions, deletions, net change, reasons).
  

Risks & safeguards (learning from Bihar)

• Perception of partisanship: Mitigate via longer timelines, uniform SOPs, and early publication of schedules.
  
• Mass deletions without notice: Bar blanket deletions; ensure individual notice, right to be heard, and appeal.
  • In Bihar, the SIR triggered deletion of about 65 lakh voters.
• Data protection: Keep Aadhaar linkage optional; adhere to purpose limitation; strong access controls.
• Last-mile gaps: Special drives in remote riverine chars, forest fringe, tea gardens, relief camps, hostels.
• Assam-specific: Synchronise with SC-led NRC processes; create a joint legal-operational coordination cell (ECI–State Govt–Registrar General) to prevent contradictory actions.
  

Why excluding Assam is prudent

Assam stands out as the only major poll-bound state not included in the pan-India SIR.

• Legal sensitivity: Citizenship adjudication intersects directly with electoral eligibility; premature SIR risks mass litigation.
  
• Administrative coherence: A separate revision allows tailored documentation protocols, appeal flows, and communication suited to Assam’s context.
  
• Trust building: A bespoke process with civil-society observers and dedicated helpdesks can reduce anxiety in a state with a history of identity conflicts.

The decision has drawn criticism, since it may mean the state goes to polls without a fresh, rigorously vetted electoral roll. With assembly elections due by April 2026, there are valid concerns about accuracy and fairness. At the same time, this approach acknowledges judicial supremacy and the need to avoid further social friction amid ongoing NRC-related litigation and community anxieties.

Way forward

• Time the SIR at least 6–8 months before polls; complete claims/objections >90 days before notification.
  
• Publish uniform SOPs (deletions, migrant handling, homeless enrolment), translated into regional languages.
  
• Independent oversight: Invite ex-CEC panel/academics to audit samples; publish audit summaries.
  
• Inclusion drives: Dedicated weeks for women, youth (18–19), persons with disabilities, migrants, with mobile enrolment teams.
  
• Tech with consent: Use ERONet, GARUDA, analytics for duplicates; maintain paper trail and privacy compliance.
  
• Communication strategy: Booth-level meetings, IVRS/SMS alerts, community radio; myth-busting FAQs on deletions.
  
• Assam’s tailored SIR: After SC milestones, issue state-specific order with extended timelines, help centres, and ombudsperson-style grievance cells.
  

Conclusion

A clean, credible electoral roll is the first ballot of democracy. The SIR instrument is necessary, but its legitimacy rests on timing, transparency, due process, and inclusion. By sequencing SIRs well before elections and custom-crafting Assam’s revision to dovetail with SC-supervised citizenship processes, the ECI can protect both accuracy and trust—the twin pillars of India’s electoral integrity.

Mains Practice Question

1. Critically assess the objectives and challenges of India’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, with special reference to Bihar and Assam. Suggest measures to ensure accuracy and inclusiveness of voter lists in poll-bound states. (250 words)

SOURCE