Context:
The Election Commission’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) 2.0, aimed at cleaning and updating electoral rolls, has generated widespread voter anxiety due to excessive reliance on manual, paper-based verification processes, leading to alleged deletion of genuine voters and procedural hardships.
Key Highlights:
Policy Background
• SIR is undertaken by the Election Commission of India (ECI) to update electoral rolls.
• SIR 2.0 has relied heavily on manual verification, reminiscent of the flawed 2002–04 exercise.
• Draft rolls reportedly showed deletion of nearly 65 million voters and numerous “non-mapped” voters.
Operational Concerns
• Eminent citizens were summoned for identity verification, highlighting systemic gaps.
• “Non-mapped voters” missing from legacy lists were issued short-notice hearings.
• Deleted voters required to reapply via Form 6 (meant for first-time voters).
• Risk of legal exposure under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023 for incorrect declarations.
Digital Reform Proposal
• Underutilised ECINet platform can enable online document upload and backend verification.
• Digital-first verification could reduce human error, increase transparency, and improve accountability.
• Emphasis that technological infrastructure exists, but implementation remains weak.
Key Concepts
• ECINet: Digital data management platform of ECI.
• Special Intensive Revision (SIR): Comprehensive electoral roll verification drive.
• Non-mapped voters: Voters excluded due to database mapping defects.
Relevant Prelims Points:
- ECI derives authority from Article 324 of the Constitution.
• Electoral rolls governed by the Representation of the People Act, 1950.
• Form 6 is used for new voter registration.
• Electoral rolls revised annually with qualifying date (usually January 1).
• BNS, 2023 replaced IPC and governs offences including false declarations.
• Digital governance initiatives align with Digital India Programme.
Relevant Mains Points:
- Electoral roll accuracy is fundamental to free and fair elections (Basic Structure Doctrine).
• Manual systems increase scope for administrative discretion and exclusion errors.
• Digitisation enhances transparency, traceability, and citizen convenience.
• Risk of digital exclusion must be addressed (digital divide concerns).
• Public trust in electoral integrity is crucial for democratic legitimacy. - Way Forward:
- Adopt fully digital verification with secure backend cross-linkages (Aadhaar, databases with safeguards).
- Provide grievance redressal with time-bound appeals.
- Ensure data protection and privacy compliance.
- Combine digital efficiency with assisted offline access for vulnerable groups.
UPSC Relevance
• GS 2: Polity – Election Commission, electoral reforms.
• GS 2: Governance – Digital governance, transparency, accountability.
• Prelims: Article 324, RPA 1950, ECINet, electoral forms.