Context
- The Election Commission (EC) is conducting the second round of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls across 12 States and Union Territories.
- With 10 days left for the enumeration phase, the EC has released progress data highlighting significant variations among States in digitisation of enumeration forms.
Key Highlights
Digitisation Status Across States
- Overall collection of enumeration forms: 99.07% (50,50,24,723 voters out of 51 crore).
- Digitised so far: 47.35% (24,13,75,229 forms).
- Top-performing States in digitisation:
- Goa – 76.89%
- Rajasthan – 72.20%
- Lowest-performing States:
- Kerala – 23%
- Uttar Pradesh – 26.6%
Timeline & Next Steps
- Enumeration phase: Nov 4 – Dec 4
- Draft list publication: Dec 9
- Claims & objections period follows draft list release.
Ground Realities — BLOs Under Pressure
- Entire field process (distribution, collection, uploading) is carried out by Booth Level Officers (BLOs).
- Reports from States:
- West Bengal: Protests over excess workload.
- Uttar Pradesh: Field visits reveal confusion regarding document uploading and technical challenges.
- Kerala: A BLO who reported work-related stress was offered relief from duty, but chose to continue.
- Some reported suicides allegedly linked to work-related stress.
Challenges Faced by BLOs
- Short time window for large volume of forms.
- Overlap with primary employment duties (e.g., teachers).
- Limited technological familiarity among senior BLOs.
- Ambiguity in guidelines (e.g., distributing only to those who voted in 2024 LS elections).
- Repetitive names & data duplication issues during uploading.
Relevant Prelims Points
- Electoral Roll Revision Types:
- Annual revision
- Special Summary Revision (SSR) – ahead of elections
- Special Intensive Revision (SIR) – door-to-door enumeration for accuracy.
- Booth Level Officer (BLO):
- Field representative of EC, responsible for roll accuracy & voter verification.
- Commonly appointed from school & govt. staff.
- Form components under revision exercises:
- Form 6: Addition of new voter
- Form 7: Objection/deletion
- Form 8: Correction
- Digitisation significance: Enables EPIC generation, de-duplication, and error reduction.
Relevant Mains Points
Governance and Electoral Administration Issues
- SIR underscores the scale of voter data management, particularly in densely populated States.
- Digital transition of electoral roll verification exposes regional gaps in digital literacy & infrastructure.
- Human resource stress in election administration highlights systemic dependency on overworked BLOs.
Impact on Electoral Integrity
- Accurate revision prevents:
- Duplicate entries
- Bogus voting
- Exclusion of eligible voters
- Uneven performance across States could lead to voter disenfranchisement and regional disparities in voter representation.
Administrative Challenges & Ethical Dimensions
- Conflicting duties of BLOs (teachers, govt employees) contribute to occupational stress.
- Safety & welfare protocols for election staff need strengthening.
- Accountability + humane workload distribution must be balanced for credible elections.
Way Forward
- Better digital infrastructure & training for BLOs.
- More realistic timelines and phased rollout of SIR.
- Dedicated staff for electoral duties to reduce overburdening teachers & clerical workers.
- Technology upgrades: automated matching for duplicate names; AI-based validation.
- Mental-health support & safety policy for frontline election staff.