The Election Commission of India (ECI) has initiated a Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral rolls in Bihar before the general elections for its Legislative Assembly.

• Accordingly, the EC has decided to carry out an SIR for the entire country, starting with Bihar.

Constitutional Mandate for ECI’s Actions

• Article 324 of the Constitution provides that the superintendence, direction and control of the preparation of electoral rolls for the conduct of elections to Parliament and State legislature shall vest with the Election Commission of India (ECI).
• Article 326 provides that every citizen who is not less than 18 years of age shall be entitled to be registered as a voter (elector).
• The electoral rolls are prepared by the ECI as per the provisions of the Representation of the People Act, 1950 (RP Act).
• The Representation of the People Act, 1950 (RP Act) further details the process:
  • Section 16 of the RP Act disqualifies a non-citizen from being enrolled in the electoral roll. 
  • Section 19 requires that the person is not less than 18 years of age on the qualifying date and is ordinarily resident in the constituency.
  • Section 20 of the RP Act provides the meaning of the term ‘ordinarily resident’. 
    • It specifies that a person shall not be deemed to be ‘ordinarily resident’ in a constituency simply because he/she owns or possesses a dwelling house in such constituency. 
    • However, at the same time, a person ‘temporarily absent’ from his/her place of residence shall continue to be ‘ordinarily resident’ therein.

Reasons for Initiating the Special Intensive Revision (SIR)

• Addressing demographic changes: Due to rapid urbanisation and migration, the ECI has seen large-scale additions and deletions in the rolls over the past 20 years.
• Eliminating duplicate entries: Migration has increased the possibility of duplicate names, raising concerns of voter fraud.
• Ensuring constitutional compliance: The ECI is bound to remove ineligible names (e.g., deceased or fraudulent entries) and ensure only eligible citizens are listed.
  • Section 21 of the RP Act deals with the preparation and revision of electoral rolls. 
  • It authorises the EC to carry out a special revision of the electoral roll at any time for reasons to be recorded.
• Including newly eligible voters: The SIR adds those turning 18 and ensures their correct constituency registration.
• Updating outdated rolls: The last such SIR was carried out for Bihar in the year 2003. 
  • Since the Bihar Assembly elections are due in November, the EC has presently laid down the guidelines for an SIR of the Bihar electoral roll with the qualifying date as July 1, 2025, meaning those 18 or older on this date are eligible to register.

Process Overview Of SIR

• Unlike the 2003 SIR, which involved house-to-house verification, the current SIR requires electors to submit an enumeration form directly to their Booth Level Officer (BLO).
• For electors registered in the electoral roll as of January 2003 (on the basis of the last SIR), no further documents are required to be submitted except the extract of the 2003 electoral roll.
• Voters registered after 2003 must provide additional documents to prove their own and their parents’ date and place of birth.
• The process started on 25 June and will conclude with the final roll release on 30 September.

Arguments in Favour of the Process

• Proponents in support of the SIR in its present form argue that the SIR in 2003 was carried out in 31 days without technological support. 
  • This time also the same amount of time will be taken for the exercise with technology. 
  • Moreover, there are more than one lakh BLOs, nearly 4 lakh volunteers and more than 1.5 lakh Booth Level Agents (BLAs), appointed by political parties, to ensure the smooth implementation of this exercise.

Arguments Against the Process

• Time and Task Complexity: Managing 8 crore eligible voters, with 3 crore required to submit additional documents, is seen as logistically difficult and prone to errors.
• Challenges for Migrants: Migrant labourers and students may not meet the deadlines, risking exclusion. 
  • Though the law considers temporary absence compatible with being ordinarily resident, practical implementation may fail to reflect this.
• Exclusion of Aadhaar: The ECI has declined to accept Aadhaar as valid proof of date of birth or citizenship, citing its limitations. 
  • While legally justified, critics argue that Aadhaar is often the only ID available to underprivileged sections, and 
  • existing Form 6 of the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960 already permits Aadhaar for voter registration.
• Risk of Migrant Exclusion: Critics fear that migrants may be dropped from their original electoral rolls, especially those with seasonal movements. 
  • This contradicts the ECI’s earlier discussions in January 2023 about remote voting for such workers.

Conclusion

The ECI’s Special Intensive Revision is a crucial step to rectify inaccuracies in the electoral rolls. Both the inclusion of ineligible names and exclusion of eligible voters undermine democracy. 

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