Bengal SIR hearings: ECI to reject certificates from individual institutions

The Election Commission of India (ECI) has drawn a firm line ahead of the crucial hearing sessions on claims and objections to West Bengal’s draft voters’ list, making it clear that academic certificates issued by individual schools or colleges will not be accepted as valid proof of identity or age.

According to officials in the office of the chief electoral officer (CEO), only certificates issued by recognised education boards, councils or universities will be honoured during the hearings, which are set to begin later this week. The clarification comes amid concerns that unverified documents could be used to manipulate the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process.

An academic qualification certificate is among the 12 documents prescribed by the ECI for “unmapped voters” seeking to retain their names on the electoral rolls. These are voters who failed to establish a link with the 2002 voters’ list — the last time an SIR was conducted in the state — either through “self-mapping” or “progeny mapping”.

While “self-mapped” voters are those whose own names appeared on the 2002 electoral rolls, “progeny-mapped” voters trace their eligibility through the inclusion of their parents’ names in that list.

Officials said the Commission had been alerted to the possibility that, during the hearings, certificates issued by individual educational institutions might be passed off as documents from recognised boards or universities. “The scope for manipulation is negligible when certificates are issued by registered boards, councils or universities,” a CEO office insider said. “However, the risk is significantly higher with certificates from individual schools and colleges. That is why the Commission has issued a clear directive.”

The Special Intensive Revision exercise in West Bengal began on 4 November, with the draft electoral roll published on 16 December. The three-phase process will culminate in the publication of the final voters’ list on 14 February 2026, after which the ECI is expected to announce the polling schedule for the state Assembly elections due later in the year.

With IANS inputs