Context

• The Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls marks a major step in India’s ongoing effort to safeguard the accuracy and inclusiveness of its voter lists.
• Conducted by the Election Commission of India (ECI) after more than two decades, the SIR aims to ensure that every eligible citizen is correctly registered and every ineligible or duplicate entry removed.
• Beyond a technical update, it reflects a renewed commitment to free, fair, and transparent elections across a vast and diverse democracy.

The Scope of the SIR, Challenges and State-Specific Concerns

• The Scope of the SIR
  • The SIR, launched on November 4, 2025, follows its successful implementation in Bihar and now extends to nine States and three Union Territories.
  • These include Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Kerala, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Goa, Gujarat, and the Union Territories of Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Lakshadweep, and Puducherry.
  • The draft electoral roll will be published on December 9, 2025, and the final roll, on February 7, 2026.
  • In its scale, the revision is extraordinary, covering 51 crore electors, 321 districts, and 1,843 Assembly constituencies.
  • It involves over 5.33 lakh Booth Level Officers (BLOs) and approximately 7.64 lakh booth-level agents from political parties.
  • Yet, no one size fits all; regional realities, political sensitivities, and administrative capacities vary widely.
• Challenges and State-Specific Concerns
  • Responses to the SIR reveal the diverse political landscape of India.
  • Tamil Nadu and Kerala have expressed caution, while West Bengal, with its 7.7 crore electors and border constituencies near Bangladesh, has taken a more confrontational stance due to ongoing debates on citizenship and infiltration.
  • Uttar Pradesh, home to 15.44 crore electors, presents complex social and administrative challenges.
  • The difficulties faced during the Bihar exercise, particularly concerning migrant verification, do not uniformly apply elsewhere.
  • The efficiency of past summary revisions also differs by State, shaping the scale of the current task.

The Defining Property of SIR: Transparency and Voter Confidence

• The ECI has clearly directed that no document is to be collected from electors during the Enumeration Phase, easing the anxiety often associated with document verification.
• Only cases where names cannot be matched with previous records will undergo review, ensuring that genuine voters face no procedural obstacles.
• Each BLO will visit households three times, creating a sense of reassurance and accountability.
• Familiar forms, Form 6 for enrolment, Form 7 for deletion, and Form 8 for correction, remain in use, providing continuity and accessibility.
• By reasserting Article 326 of the Constitution, which guarantees universal adult franchise, alongside Article 324, which empowers the ECI to conduct elections, the SIR strengthens the constitutional framework of India’s democracy.
• It transforms voter registration into a right-based process, not a bureaucratic burden.

Broader Democratic and Institutional Implications

• The SIR is more than a technical clean-up; it is an act of democratic renewal.
• By removing outdated entries caused by death, migration, or duplication, the exercise ensures that each vote carries equal weight.
• Its pan-India implementation affirms that electoral integrity depends on constant vigilance and adaptation.
• The SIR also complements the ECI’s mobilisation campaigns that encourage new voter registration and higher turnout.
• Together, these efforts cleanse and expand the electorate, enhancing both accuracy and participation.
• The Supreme Court’s affirmation of the SIR’s legality reinforces its legitimacy, but the ECI must continue to display skill, empathy, and transparency in its execution.
• The Commission’s legacy of competence and public trust demands continuous engagement with voters and stakeholders.
• Administrative precision must go hand in hand with human sensitivity, ensuring that no legitimate voter is excluded in the pursuit of accuracy.

Conclusion

• While challenges remain, the process strengthens the foundations of democratic participation by ensuring that every legitimate citizen’s right to vote is protected and that electoral rolls reflect the living reality of the nation.
• In a global context where electoral credibility is under scrutiny, India’s SIR demonstrates how transparency, adaptability, and institutional trust can safeguard democracy.
• The success of the Bihar model offers a hopeful precedent.
• If sustained with the same diligence nationwide, the SIR will not only refine the rolls but also renew faith in the core democratic promise: one person, one vote, one value.