SIR debate on Dec 9

Political semantics dominated Parliament on Tuesday as the Centre agreed to a detailed 10-hour debate on electoral reforms on December 9 - but not specifically on the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, as the Opposition had demanded.

- Gaurav Vivek Bhatnagar

The debate has been formally listed under the broader rubric of “electoral reforms”, with SIR folded into it.

After two days of protests that repeatedly stalled both Houses, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju posted the breakthrough on X: “It has been decided to hold discussion in Lok Sabha on 150th Anniversary of National Song ‘Vande Mataram’ on Monday, 8th Dec, and discussion on Election Reforms from 12 noon on Tuesday, 9th December.”

The agreement was sealed at an urgent meeting of the Business Advisory Committee (BAC) convened by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, where the government and the Opposition settled on December 9 for the electoral reforms debate, a day after the Vande Mataram commemoration.