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Relevance: GS-II (Indian Constitution, Election Commission, RPA Act 1950) Source: Election Commission of India / Legal Reviews, 2026

1 · What exactly happened?

Imagine turning 18 and going online to apply for your first Voter ID. Instead of just asking for your age and address, the website suddenly demands: “Was your mother or father on the special voter list? Give us their exact polling booth number and serial number from years ago!”

Recently, the Election Commission of India (ECI) quietly added this rule to its online portal (ECINET) for new voters. But here is the big catch: the official law and the physical paper form (Form 6) have not been changed by Parliament or the Law Ministry yet. This mismatch between the online website and the actual law has sparked a massive legal debate.

2 · Website vs. The Law: What is the Issue?

Under Indian law, the ECI cannot just change voter application rules on its own. Changes to official forms must go through the Central Government and Parliament. Here is why legal experts and young voters are worried:

The Online Portal
ECINET Mandate
If you apply online, the website forces you to state if your parents were part of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR). You must type in their old Assembly number, booth number, or Voter ID (EPIC) number.
The Paper Form
If you download the official PDF of Form 6 or take a paper copy from a government office, this question does not exist! The physical form remains completely unchanged.
The Legal Rule
RPA Act, 1950
Under Section 28 of the Representation of the People Act (RPA) 1950, only the Central Government can make or change registration rules, and they must be shown to Parliament. The Law Ministry has not notified this change yet.
Burden on Youth
Right vs. Privilege
Voting is a universal right at age 18. Forcing first-time voters to dig up their parents’ old polling booth numbers puts an unfair burden on them, making a basic right look like a conditional privilege.

  • A Massive Cleanup: Why is ECI doing this? They want to clean up duplicate names. Through this aggressive new verification drive, a staggering 5.58 crore names have already been deleted from voter lists nationwide.
  • The Assam Exception: Interestingly, the ECI has decided not to conduct this Special Intensive Revision in Assam right now. They are waiting until the highly sensitive National Register of Citizens (NRC) is fully settled there.

UPSC Prelims Quick Facts
Article 326 Guarantees Universal Adult Suffrage. Every Indian citizen above 18 years has the right to be registered as a voter, unless legally disqualified (like unsound mind or crime).
RPA, 1950 (Section 28) Gives the Central Government (in consultation with ECI) the legal power to make rules for voter registration. These rules must be laid before Parliament.
Form 6 The statutory form used by first-time applicants to include their names in the electoral roll.
Article 324 Gives the Election Commission of India the power of superintendence, direction, and control of elections and voter lists.
Assam Exception Assam is currently excluded from the ECI’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) due to the ongoing NRC process.

MCQ Practice Question
Q. With reference to the registration of voters and electoral laws in India, consider the following statements:

  1. Under the Representation of the People Act, 1950, the Election Commission of India has the independent and exclusive power to amend the official voter registration forms without government notification.
  2. Form 6 is the statutory application form used by first-time voters to enroll their names in the electoral roll.
  3. The Election Commission has currently excluded the state of Assam from the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 and 2 only    (b) 2 and 3 only    (c) 1 and 3 only    (d) 1, 2 and 3

Answer: (b) 2 and 3 only

  • Statement 1 — Incorrect: Under Section 28 of the RPA, 1950, the power to make or amend rules (including statutory forms like Form 6) lies with the Central Government in consultation with the ECI, and must be notified by the Law Ministry and laid before Parliament. ECI cannot independently amend the statutory form.
  • Statement 2 — Correct: Form 6 is indeed the standard statutory form used for new voter registration.
  • Statement 3 — Correct: ECI has officially excluded Assam from the current Special Intensive Revision until the National Register of Citizens (NRC) process is finalized there.
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