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Amid controversies over implementation of Special Intensive Revision (SIR) in Bihar, the Election Commission of India (ECI) has taken steps to conduct the exercise across the nation. In a conference of Chief Electoral Officers from all states and Union Territories held on September 10, the ECI has directed them to be prepared for the nation-wide SIR.
Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi attended the conference along with CEOs for all states/Union Territories. Though ECI issued a press release after the conference, it is silent on the dates or duration of the exercise. According to officials, no particular date or schedule was fixed for the SIR.
The conference discussed the strategies, constraints and best practices adopted by the CEO Bihar where the first SIR was introduced in July this year. The CEOs of states and UTs gave detailed presentations on the number of electors, qualifying date of the last SIR and electoral rolls as per the last completed SIR at the meeting, the press statement said.
There has been a widespread protest over the implementation of SIR in Bihar as the state was set to face the Assembly election in October-November 2025. If there is a nation-wide SIR, similar concerns will arise from Assam, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal, which will go to polls in May 2026. In Assam, the last intensive revision happened in 2005 while it was 2002 in Kerala. All the electors who haven't found themselves in the electoral roll of the last revision will have to submit a new enumeration form to be included in the roll.
According to ECI, revision of electoral rolls is mandatory as per section 21(2)(a) of the Representation of People Act 1950 and Rule 25 of the Registration of Elector Rules 1960. ECI has argued that the exercise was necessary as the electoral roll keeps changing due to deaths, migration, addition of new voters etc. Though ECI has been conducting annual and intensive revisions, the SIR conducted on a short notice in Bihar triggered a controversy, especially with concerns of deletion of eligible voters from the list.
Aadhar included
One of the major allegations against SIR in Bihar was in connection with the list of 11 documents, which were sought as a proof of eligibility. The set of 11 documents included government ID cards, birth certificate, passport, matriculation certificate, permanent residence certificate, forest rights certificate, caste certificate, family register and land/house allotment certificate. Though it was not implemented in Bihar, the national register of citizens too was enlisted as one of the documents for eligibility. Finally the ECI decided to include Aadhar as the 12th document following the direction of the Supreme Court last week.
According to ECI officials, any one of the 12 documents can be submitted along with the enumeration form to be included in the roll.