ECI launched a SIR to ‘purify’ the voter list. The exercise has removed a massive number of genuine voters, raising concerns about the health of universal adult franchise in India.
Key Developments
- During the draft stage, 13.37 crore names were struck off across 30 states and UTs in three phases.
- Deletion rates rose from 8.3 % in Bihar (Phase 1) to 12.9 % in Phase 2 and 17 % in Phase 3.
- In Delhi, the draft roll lists only 97.54 lakh electors, barely above the 94.95 lakh who voted in the Feb 2025 Assembly election.
- Electors flagged for “logical discrepancies” number in the millions; many appeals remain pending.
- Restoration of deleted voters requires filing Form 6, making it hard to distinguish new voters from returning ones.
Important Facts
The electoral roll is the backbone of Indian democracy. The 2023 Manual on Electoral Rolls describes a de‑novo revision as a fresh enumeration without reference to the old roll. In practice, the SIR reversed this: it placed the burden on citizens to prove eligibility, often demanding documents akin to a citizenship test.
Deleted voters cannot be easily reinstated. They must submit Form 6 as if they were first‑time voters, even if they simply changed address. The software used for “logical discrepancies” flagged mismatches such as spelling variations, more than six voters linked to one ancestor, or parent‑child age gaps outside 15‑45 years.
Changes are now routed through the ERONet, reducing the role of statutory Electoral Registration Officers. Without a recent Census, there is no reliable population baseline to verify the roll’s accuracy.
Exam Relevance
Understanding the SIR is crucial for GS‑2 (Polity) and GS‑1 (History) questions on the evolution of India’s electoral system. The episode illustrates challenges in implementing universal adult franchise, a cornerstone of the Indian Constitution. It also highlights administrative law issues, such as procedural fairness, the role of the judiciary, and the limits of executive power under Section 21(3) of the Representation of the People Act.
Way Forward
Experts suggest the following steps:
- Pause the ongoing SIR and conduct an audit of the draft rolls before any further deletions.
- Re‑introduce door‑to‑door verification by Booth Level Officers, as originally prescribed in the Manual.
- Allow states to use pre‑SIR rolls, updated with fresh enrolments, for upcoming elections.
- Amend Form 6 to clearly distinguish new voters from those seeking re‑entry, ensuring transparency.
- Establish a reliable population baseline once the delayed Census is released.
Only by correcting these procedural flaws can the ECI fulfill its historic mission of expanding, not narrowing, the adult franchise.