Election Commission's Push for Pan-India Electoral Roll Matching: Drawing Lessons from Bihar's SIR to Ensure Voter List Accuracy

Why in News

The Election Commission of India (ECI) convened a key conference with Chief Electoral Officers (CEOs) from all states and Union Territories on September 11, 2025, to prepare for a nationwide Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. Highlighting Bihar's ongoing SIR, where over 75% of existing voters were successfully linked to the 2003 rolls, the ECI directed states to focus on similar matching exercises with their last intensive revision records. This step aims to reduce the burden of document submission for voters and maintain the integrity of electoral rolls amid concerns over duplicates and ineligible entries, especially ahead of upcoming assembly elections in several states.

Key Points

1. Over 75% of Bihar's 7.89 crore existing electors were traced back to the 2003 electoral roll during the SIR, with 52% directly matched and 25% linked indirectly through family trees or relatives.
2. The ECI instructed all states and UTs to map their current electoral rolls against those from their last intensive revision to minimize the number of voters needing to provide fresh eligibility proofs in the upcoming pan-India SIR.
3. Bihar's final electoral roll under SIR is set to be published on September 30, 2025, after processing claims and objections, with around 65 lakh names initially excluded as dead, shifted, untraceable, or duplicates.
4. CEOs suggested additional documents for voter eligibility, including Aadhaar and the Electors Photo Identity Card (EPIC), though most states offered no new ideas; the Supreme Court recently mandated accepting Aadhaar for Bihar's SIR despite it not proving citizenship.
5. The ECI's June 24, 2025, order initiated SIR starting with Bihar, citing urbanization, migration, and potential duplicates since the last nationwide intensive revision over two decades ago.
6. Presentations at the conference included Bihar's strategies, constraints, and best practices, with the ECI emphasizing ease of submission to include all eligible citizens while excluding ineligible ones.

Explained

What is Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of Electoral Rolls?

Special Intensive Revision (SIR) is a thorough process led by the Election Commission to update and verify electoral rolls from scratch. Unlike routine annual updates, SIR involves house-to-house visits by Booth Level Officers (BLOs) to collect fresh data from every household. Voters fill out enumeration forms, and those added after the last intensive revision must provide documents proving their date and place of birth. For those born after July 1, 1987, parents' documents may also be required to align with citizenship rules under the Citizenship Act, 1955. The goal is to remove duplicates, deceased names, and ineligible entries, ensuring only genuine citizens are listed. This hybrid approach combines door-to-door verification with elements of summary revisions, making it more rigorous to address issues like migration-induced errors.

Historical Context of Electoral Roll Revisions in India

Electoral rolls in India are managed under the Representation of the People Act, 1950, which empowers the ECI to revise them as needed. Intensive revisions, like SIR, have occurred periodically since independence, such as in 1952-56 (post-independence cleanup), 1961 (post-reorganization of states), 1983-84 (addressing population growth), and the last major ones in 2002-2004 across most states. These were triggered by factors like delimitation of constituencies, rapid urbanization, or complaints of inaccuracies. Summary revisions happen yearly, publishing draft rolls for public claims and objections without fieldwork. Special revisions are flexible, used in urgent cases. The current pan-India SIR is the first intensive effort in over 20 years, driven by ECI's concerns over unchecked additions since 2003, with Bihar chosen first due to its upcoming assembly polls before November 2025.

Legal Basis and Link to Citizenship Verification

The ECI derives authority for SIR from Section 21(3) of the Representation of the People Act, 1950, allowing revisions "in such manner as it thinks fit." While not explicitly a citizenship check, SIR requires birth-related documents to verify eligibility, indirectly linking to the Citizenship Act, 1955, which defines citizenship by birth before or after key dates like July 1, 1987. A new declaration form requires applicants to affirm Indian birth and provide proofs like passports, birth certificates, or school leaving certificates—excluding Aadhaar, ration cards, and EPIC initially, though the Supreme Court ordered Aadhaar's inclusion on September 8, 2025, clarifying it's not citizenship proof. This aims to prevent illegal migrants, especially from Bangladesh and Myanmar, from enrolling, amid crackdowns in states like Assam. Critics argue it risks disenfranchising genuine voters lacking documents.

Controversy and Inclusivity Concerns in SIR

The SIR has faced backlash from opposition parties like RJD and AIMIM, who claim it could exclude crores of eligible voters, particularly from marginalized groups, due to document shortages. A Lokniti-CSDS survey across six states/UTs revealed 36% awareness of SIR, with over half lacking birth certificates and two-thirds without parents' proofs. In Madhya Pradesh, only 11% have birth certificates; in Kerala and West Bengal, it's around 38-49%. About 5% of Indians have none of the 11 mandated documents, mostly from lower economic classes, SCs (over 25%), and OBCs (over 40%). Women are slightly more affected. The Supreme Court, while upholding SIR, urged inclusivity, noting it's "voter-friendly" but raising the bar for exclusions. The ECI insists on promoting ease, doubling BLO pay and incentives to boost fieldwork, but concerns persist over potential bias in border areas or migrant-heavy regions.

Strategic Importance of Clean Electoral Rolls for Indian Democracy

Maintaining accurate electoral rolls is crucial for free and fair elections, upholding Article 326 of the Constitution, which guarantees adult suffrage. Inaccurate rolls can lead to fraud, like bogus voting, or disenfranchise citizens, undermining trust. With India's electorate at over 96 crore, SIR addresses migration (e.g., urban shifts causing duplicates) and urbanization, which the ECI estimates have bloated rolls. By replicating Bihar's model—where family linkages restored 25% of voters—states can reduce document burdens. Upcoming 2026 polls in Assam, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, and Puducherry make timely revisions vital. Broader impacts include better data for policy-making and reduced election disputes, aligning with the ECI's mandate to protect roll integrity.

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