Answer

Introduction

The Election Commission of India (ECI) initiated a Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, starting with Bihar, to cleanse voter lists of inaccuracies, duplicates, and ineligible entries, as mandated by Article 324 and Section 21 of the Representation of the People Act 1950. While aimed at preserving electoral integrity, this unprecedented exercise presents significant operational and inclusion-related challenges.

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Challenges in Conducting Nationwide SIR

• Documentation Barrier for Existing Voters: Voters enrolled after 2003 must submit fresh enumeration forms along with citizenship documents (e.g., birth certificate, parentage proof); standard ID proof (Aadhaar, ration cards) is often rejected.
• Unrealistic Timelines: Citizens are given roughly one month (by July 25) to submit documents—during monsoon and floods—creating barriers, especially for rural and vulnerable groups.
• Heavy Burden on BLOs and Limited Staff: Booth Level Officers (BLOs) are deployed for door-to-door verification to nearly 1.5 crore households in the state on first visit, but face resource constraints, logistical hurdles, and local language/dialect challenges.
• Liberation of Political Tensions and Legalities: The SIR process in Bihar is contested in the Supreme Court by ADR, PUCL over potential violation of Articles 14, 19, 21, 325, 326; critics label the method arbitrary and exclusion-prone.
• Disruption in Electoral Processes: Bihar had recently completed a Special Summary Revision; SIR disrupted established timelines, undermining procedural regularity. 

Measures for Accuracy & Inclusivity, Especially for Migrants

• Extended & Flexible Timeline: Expand submission ending until after peak monsoon. Allow staggered timelines for remote/migrant areas.
• Acceptance of Alternate Proofs: Permit Aadhaar, ration cards, MGNREGA job cards, employer certificates as valid address proofs for migrants.
• Mobile & Pop-up Camps at Worksites: Deploy verification teams and mobile enrolment booths at construction sites, factories, migrant hubs, railway stations.
• Collaborate with Civil Society & Employers: Partner with NGOs, employers, and trade unions to collect documents and assist vulnerable migrants.
• Inter-State Coordination for Portable Enrolment: Use e-ECI platforms for rolling updates,  enable migrants to update addresses electronically across states.
• Legal Aid & Awareness Campaigns: Set up helplines, legal help-desks and public outreach through local media, vernacular radio, community groups.
• BLO Training & Support: Train BLOs in migrant challenges; equip them with transport, local language support, and additional personnel.
• Robust Appeals & Rectification Process: Ensure transparent, digitised mechanisms for claims/objections, with extended deadlines and no-cost correction for genuine voters.
  

Conclusion

A nationwide SIR is necessary for electoral integrity, but must not erode citizen enfranchisement especially of migrant and vulnerable populations. By relaxing procedural norms, strengthening on-ground support, enabling portability, and anchoring inclusion-centric practices, the ECI can reconcile accuracy with universal suffrage. A rights-based, participatory voter revision is essential to uphold democratic legitimacy in India’s evolving electoral landscape.

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