EC to finalise nationwide SIR rollout after meeting state CEOs

The Election Commission (EC) is expected to take a call on the nationwide rollout of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls following a crucial meeting with the Chief Electoral Officers (CEOs) of States and Union Territories on Wednesday. The discussions, officials told the Indian Express, will focus on finalising preparations for the exercise as well as other administrative matters.

The meeting, scheduled to be held at the EC’s India International Institute of Democracy and Election Management (IIIDEM) in Dwarka, marks the second such interaction in just over a month.

On 10 September, the EC, comprising Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi, had convened a similar session to assess readiness for the SIR.

The SIR, first ordered by the EC on 24 June, aims to update electoral rolls from scratch, differing from the annual and pre-election Special Summary Revision (SSR) that has been conducted for the past two decades. Bihar was chosen as the initial state for the exercise, owing to the upcoming elections.

Under the June order, all 7.89 crore registered electors in Bihar were required to submit new enumeration forms by 25 July to be included in the draft roll, which was published on 1 August.

To ensure eligibility, voters added to the rolls since the last intensive revision in 2003 were asked to provide supporting documents confirming their date and place of birth. Those born after 1 July 1987 also had to submit documents of their parents in line with the requirements of the Citizenship Act, 1955.

The EC had specified an indicative list of 11 acceptable documents, including passports, birth certificates, and caste certificates, excluding commonly held identity proofs such as Aadhaar, voter ID and ration cards.

The intensive revision in Bihar saw the deletion of 65 lakh names at the draft stage, with a further 3.66 lakh names removed in the final publication.

Officials said Wednesday’s meeting will be critical in determining the timelines and procedural details for extending the SIR to other states and Union Territories. The EC is expected to issue formal orders following consultations with the CEOs and a review of administrative readiness.

With the nationwide SIR, the EC aims to create a more accurate and up-to-date electoral database, strengthening the integrity of voter rolls ahead of future elections.

With Agency Inputs