Context: The Election Commission of India (EC) has initiated a Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral rolls in Bihar ahead of the upcoming Legislative Assembly elections.
Relevance of the Topic: Prelims: About Special Intensive Revision of Electoral Rolls. Mains: Pros and Cons of Special Intensive Revision of Electoral Rolls.
What is an Electoral Roll?
- Electoral roll (also known as a voter list) is an official list of all eligible voters in a particular constituency who are entitled to vote in elections.
- Article 324 of the Constitution provides that the superintendence, direction and control of the preparation of electoral rolls for the conduct of elections to Parliament and State legislature shall vest with the EC.
- Article 326 provides that every citizen who is not less than 18 years of age shall be entitled to be registered as a voter (elector).
- The electoral rolls are prepared by the EC as per the provisions of the Representation of the People Act, 1950 (RP Act).
As per the Representation of the People Act, 1950:
- Section 16 disqualifies non-citizens from being enrolled.
- Section 19 mandates that a person must be 18 years old and an ordinary resident in the constituency.
- Section 20 defines "ordinary resident" and clarifies that mere ownership of a house does not count, but temporary absence does not negate residency.
What is Special Revision of Electoral Rolls?
- Exercise conducted by the Election Commission of India (ECI) to verify, correct, and update the list of eligible voters outside the regular annual revision cycle.
- Section 21 of the Representation of the People (RP) Act empowers the Election Commission (EC) to undertake a special revision of electoral rolls at any time, citing reasons in writing.
Why has an SIR been initiated?
- The EC observed large-scale additions and deletions in electoral rolls over the past two decades, primarily due to rapid urbanisation and migration, raising the risk of duplicate and inaccurate entries.
- ECI is constitutionally obligated to ensure that only eligible citizens are enrolled in the electoral rolls. Accordingly, the EC has decided to carry out an SIR for the entire country, starting with Bihar. The last such SIR was carried out for Bihar in 2003.
- The qualifying date is 1 July, 2025. Any citizen who is 18 years or older as of July 1, 2025, and meets all other eligibility criteria, is entitled to be included in the updated electoral roll.
Pros of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR):
- Help to eliminate duplicate entries, ineligible voters, and ensure only citizens who are ordinarily resident are included. The process adheres to provisions in the RP Act and Registration of Electors Rules (RER), ensuring only genuine residents are registered in a constituency.
- Aadhaar is rightly excluded as a document of registration as it is not a proof of citizenship or date of birth, aligning with constitutional and legal standards.
- Reliance on official documents like caste certificates, family registers, and land records is seen as a more legally sound approach to validate identity and citizenship.
Challenges associated with Special Intensive Revision (SIR) :
- Requirement for all 8 crore voters in Bihar to submit enumeration forms is a humongous task. Nearly 3 crore voters will need to submit documents proving date and place of birth for themselves and their parents, which may be difficult for many.
- Despite large manpower deployment, the scale of the exercise may still lead to errors in inclusion/exclusion of voters. Migrant labourers and students may be unable to complete documentation within deadlines, risking exclusion from the rolls.
- Under the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960 (RER), Aadhaar is mandatory for new voter registration unless it is unavailable. It is accepted as proof of both date of birth and place of residence. The Election Commission’s requirement of additional documents through a separate declaration form to establish date and place of birth deviates from this standard practice. For many poor and marginalised citizens, Aadhaar is their only form of identification. Excluding it as a valid document could lead to their disenfranchisement.
- In January 2023, the EC had proposed a remote voting system for migrants, suggesting a shift toward greater inclusion- the current SIR seems to pull in the opposite direction.
Way Forward
- The EC should ensure that adequate safeguards are put in place for the completion of the exercise without errors.
- The Booth Level Agents (BLAs) should actively participate to prevent errors of omission or addition.
- Based on ground realities observed during the first phase, the EC should relax or modify documentation norms during the claims and objections phase, ensuring no eligible citizen is excluded.
- Ensure that no eligible citizen is excluded due to their inability to produce any document from the list of valid documents.
- Do not remove long-term migrant workers from their home constituency rolls if they wish to vote there and continue to have familial or property links.
- As per the 2010 RP Act amendment, NRIs can vote from their Indian constituency of origin; a similar flexible approach should be considered for internal migrants.
- Address the issue of duplicate voter IDs for the same person in different constituencies through Aadhaar seeding.
