Context:
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The Election Commission of India (ECI) has revived the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in 2025, beginning with Bihar and West Bengal.
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While the objective is to modernize voter lists, the process has faced criticism due to outdated verification methods, exclusion of Aadhaar, and anomalies in the revised rolls.
Key Highlights:
Special Intensive Revision (SIR) 2025
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SIR is aimed at updating the electoral database by:
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Removing duplicate or fake entries
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Correcting voter details
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Ensuring inclusion of eligible citizens
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The last full-scale SIR was conducted during 2002–2004, when electoral data was largely paper-based.
Outdated Procedures and Governance Concerns
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Critics argue that SIR 2025 relies on procedures suited for a manual era, rather than leveraging India’s digital infrastructure.
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Lack of transparency in deletions and corrections raises concerns about electoral integrity.
Exclusion of Aadhaar in Verification
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Aadhaar was excluded from voter verification despite being the most widely used digital ID.
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This exclusion made verification difficult for:
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Migrant workers
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Marginalized communities
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Citizens lacking multiple documents
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Integrating Aadhaar could help reduce duplication while ensuring accuracy.
Data Anomalies in Bihar Electoral Roll
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Bihar’s revised roll showed troubling inconsistencies:
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3.66 lakh names deleted without adequate explanation
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Decline in gender ratio from 934 (Sept 2025) to 892 (final roll)
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Such shifts raise concerns about exclusion errors and data integrity.
Role of ECI-Net and Digital Capacity
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ECI-Net, managed by C-DAC Pune, is a digital voter database covering nearly one billion voters.
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It has the capacity to detect:
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Duplicate entries
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Inconsistencies
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Fraudulent registrations
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Proper use of such tools can improve roll accuracy.
Significance / Concerns
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Electoral rolls are foundational to democracy; flawed revisions may lead to:
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Disenfranchisement of genuine voters
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Reduced public trust in elections
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Governance and transparency deficits
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Relevant Prelims Points:
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Electoral Roll: Official list of eligible voters in an election constituency.
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Aadhaar: 12-digit unique ID issued by UIDAI.
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ECI-Net: Digital voter database managed by ECI with records of nearly one billion voters.
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Special Intensive Revision (SIR): Large-scale revision exercise for electoral roll purification and updating.
Issue + Causes
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Problems arise due to:
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Manual verification practices
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Lack of digital audit trails
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Exclusion of Aadhaar-based authentication
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Unexplained deletions and demographic distortions
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Benefits of Digital Transformation
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Ensures:
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Faster verification
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Inclusion of migrants
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Elimination of duplicate/fake voters
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Transparent correction mechanisms
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Challenges / Impact
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Risk of misuse of digital tools without safeguards.
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Data privacy concerns with Aadhaar integration.
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Potential large-scale voter exclusion if errors are not corrected in real time.
Relevant Mains Points:
Governance and Electoral Integrity
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Transparent electoral rolls are essential for free and fair elections.
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Revision exercises must balance:
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Purification of rolls
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Protection against wrongful deletion
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Science & Technology Linkages
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Digital governance tools like ECI-Net can enhance accuracy through:
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AI-driven duplicate detection
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Software-based audit trails
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Real-time corrections
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Way Forward
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Adopt software-driven roll verification with clear digital audit trails.
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Consider verified Aadhaar linkage with privacy safeguards.
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Ensure real-time grievance redress mechanisms during SIR.
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Strengthen transparency in deletions and demographic anomalies.
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Focus on inclusion-first approach for marginalized groups.
UPSC Relevance (GS-wise):
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GS 2 (Polity): Electoral reforms, voter rights, ECI functioning
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GS 2 (Governance): Transparency, accountability, inclusion in roll revision
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GS 3 (Science & Tech): Digital governance platforms like ECI-Net
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Prelims: Electoral roll, Aadhaar, SIR, ECI-Net