The Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of Electoral Rolls: A Nationwide 'Purification' Exercise
UPSC Relevance
Prelims: Indian Polity and Governance (Election Commission of India - ECI, Article 324, Representation of the People Act 1950, Electoral Rolls, Voter Registration).
Mains:
General Studies Paper 2 (Polity & Governance): Powers, functions and responsibilities of various Constitutional Bodies (ECI); Salient features of the Representation of People’s Act; Issues and challenges pertaining to the federal structure (state-centre conflicts over the SIR process).
General Studies Paper 1 (Society): Population and associated issues (Migration and its impact on voting rights).
Key Highlights from the News
The Election Commission (EC) has started the second phase of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in 12 states and Union Territories.
This includes poll-bound Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, and Kerala.
Assam has been temporarily excluded from this process as the National Register of Citizens (NRC) process, overseen by the Supreme Court, is yet to be completed.
In the first phase of SIR in Bihar, 68 lakh voters were removed from the rolls.
The ECI's stated goal is the "purification" of electoral rolls.
House-to-house enumeration will take place from November 4 to December 4. The final electoral rolls will be published on February 7.
Concerns have been raised against this move in Kerala due to local elections, and in West Bengal for political reasons. However, the Election Commission maintains that this is their constitutional duty.
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