Context:
-
The recent Bihar Assembly elections witnessed an unusual electoral outcome where women voters outnumbered men by 4.34 lakh, despite having 42 lakh fewer registrations.
-
This paradox has raised concerns about electoral roll integrity, the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process, and broader gender–demographic dynamics in electoral participation.
Key Highlights:
Electoral Data & Gender Trends
-
Women turnout exceeded men by 4.34 lakh votes, despite lower female voter registration.
-
Electorate gender ratio declined sharply:
-
907 (pre-SIR) → 892 (post-SIR).
-
-
The SIR exercise disproportionately removed women voters, especially in the 18–29 age group.
Special Intensive Revision (SIR) Concerns
-
SIR aimed at updating electoral rolls by:
-
Adding eligible voters
-
Removing duplicates, migrants, or deceased voters
-
-
Supreme Court intervention led to:
-
Release of draft SIR rolls
-
Disclosure of exclusion data
-
-
Data revealed a systematic adverse impact on women, raising questions of procedural fairness and transparency.
Political & Policy Factors
-
The Nitish Kumar government has emphasized women-centric welfare.
-
Launch of Mukhyamantri Mahila Rojgar Yojana (September):
-
â‚ą10,000 cash transfer to women beneficiaries
-
-
Higher female turnout likely benefited the incumbent government, reflecting welfare-led political support.
Demographic & Societal Factors
-
High male out-migration for employment reduced male voter turnout.
-
Female participation driven more by:
-
Cash transfers
-
Household-based voting
-
Demographic stability
-
-
Editorial notes that turnout surge reflects structural factors rather than political mobilization.
Institutional Accountability Issues
-
The Election Commission of India has:
-
Not reconciled electoral gender ratio with state population surveys
-
Failed to adequately explain gender-skewed exclusions
-
-
Transparency in roll revision is critical to ensure credibility of women’s political participation.
Key Concepts Involved:
-
Special Intensive Revision (SIR): Periodic voter roll correction exercise.
-
Mukhyamantri Mahila Rojgar Yojana: Women-focused employment and income support scheme.
-
Model Code of Conduct: Guidelines regulating political conduct during elections.
-
Electoral Integrity: Accuracy, inclusiveness, and fairness of voter registration.
UPSC Relevance (GS-wise):
GS 2 – Polity & Governance
-
Role of ECI in ensuring free and fair elections
-
Judicial oversight of electoral processes
-
Transparency vs administrative efficiency
GS 1 – Indian Society
-
Women’s political participation
-
Migration and its electoral consequences
-
Gender gaps in institutional representation
Prelims Focus:
-
SIR and its objectives
-
Gender ratio in electoral rolls
-
Role of Supreme Court in electoral reforms
Mains Enrichment:
-
Critically evaluate whether increased women turnout reflects empowerment or welfare dependency.
-
Discuss how electoral roll revisions can unintentionally reinforce gender exclusion.