In Public Interest: Will SIR lead to exclusion of genuine voters? | Tamil Nadu | Election Commission

The Election Commission of India's Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls has triggered widespread confusion and criticism across Tamil Nadu. The revision exercise, meant to update and verify voter lists ahead of the 2026 Assembly elections, has instead raised serious concerns about transparency, timing, and the intent behind it. In this week’s In Public Interest, Shabbir Ahmed speaks to G Balachandran, retired IAS officer and former Additional Chief Secretary of West Bengal, to decode the rationale behind the SIR, the institutional lapses that led to the current confusion, and the larger questions it raises about how India manages its voter rolls.