The Election Commission of India (ECI) has announced a refined nationwide Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, addressing concerns raised during Bihar’s pilot exercise. After completing the first SIR in Bihar, which removed nearly 80 lakh names and sparked political controversy, the Commission has introduced several improvements for the second phase covering 12 states and Union Territories.
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Understanding the SIR Exercise
The SIR is a comprehensive nationwide campaign initiated by the Election Commission after more than two decades, aiming to meticulously update and clean voter rolls by removing duplicates, deceased individuals, migrants, and illegal voters. Unlike routine annual updates, this intensive exercise demands active participation from all registered voters to verify their eligibility.
Bihar SIR: The Pilot Phase
| Metric | Details |
|---|---|
| Duration | June 24 – September 30, 2025 |
| Initial Voters | 7.89 crore |
| Draft List Removals | 65 lakh (absent, shifted, or dead) |
| Final Exclusions | 3.66 lakh ineligible voters |
| New Additions | 21.53 lakh eligible voters |
| Final Total | 7.42 crore voters |
| Key Controversy | Opposition parties mounted a strong campaign, claiming the exercise was an attempt to “steal votes” for the ruling party. |
What Sets the Nationwide SIR Apart?
The Election Commission has incorporated crucial lessons from Bihar’s experience. Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar emphasized that Tamil Nadu and other states would implement several improvements over the Bihar model, focusing on better documentation and public disclosure of data.
Key Improvements in Phase 2
Enhanced Transparency Measures: Booth Level Officers (BLOs) are now directed to record detailed reasons for unreturned enumeration forms and publicly display the list at local body offices, with consolidated data uploaded on the Chief Electoral Officer’s website for public scrutiny.
Procedural Safeguards: The Commission has prohibited BLOs from collecting supporting documents from voters while distributing forms, eliminating potential procedural misuse or confusion. BLOs must now carry Form-6, enabling citizens to immediately apply for voter list inclusion.
Expanded Registration Opportunities: The ECI has introduced new quarterly qualifying dates—April 1, July 1, and October 1, 2026—allowing those turning 18 to register without waiting until the following calendar year.
Broader Scope: The Commission held consultations with 36 Chief Electoral Officers from across India before finalizing the roadmap. The nationwide exercise will cover approximately 51 crore voters across over 533,000 polling stations.
States Covered in Phase 2
The 12 states and union territories where SIR will be conducted include Andaman and Nicobar, Chhattisgarh, Goa, Gujarat, Kerala, Lakshadweep, Madhya Pradesh, Puducherry, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal. These include crucial states scheduled for assembly elections in 2026.
Aadhaar Integration
The Supreme Court directed the poll panel to accept Aadhaar as the 12th identity document for the revision. However, the Commission clarified that Aadhaar should be accepted only as identity proof, not as evidence of citizenship or date of birth.
Supreme Court Oversight
The Supreme Court made it clear that if constitutional safeguards are compromised, the entire exercise will be invalidated, and the verdict would apply nationwide. This judicial scrutiny ensures the process maintains democratic integrity while updating electoral rolls.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Q1: How is the nationwide SIR different from Bihar’s controversial revision?
The nationwide SIR incorporates enhanced transparency with mandatory public display of unreturned forms, stricter procedural safeguards preventing document collection during form distribution, quarterly registration dates for new voters, and comprehensive consultations with 36 state electoral officers—all improvements made after analyzing Bihar’s implementation gaps.
Q2: Will voters be automatically deleted if they don’t submit enumeration forms?
No. The refined SIR process includes detailed tracking mechanisms for unreturned forms, public disclosure of reasons for non-submission, multiple opportunities for inclusion including Form-6 availability during household visits, and appeal provisions allowing wrongly excluded voters to apply up to 10 days before nomination filing. Learn more at the official Election Commission website.
