SIR: A test of democracy

At this moment, the most widely discussed subject in Indian politics is undoubtedly the Special Intensive Revision (S.I.R.).

- AVIJIT CHAKRABORTY

On the one hand, its necessity is undeniable; on the other hand, its implementation and procedure have started an intense political tug-of-war. The controversy and chaos surrounding it have been so severe that Parliament has remained stalled for days. The matter is now under trial in the country's highest court-the Supreme Court.

First, let us understand: what exactly is this Special Intensive Revision (SIR)?

Definition and Purpose

Special Intensive Revision (SIR) is a time-bound, house-to-house verification-based, very detailed procedure of correcting and preparing the electoral roll, which is carried out by the Election Commission of India (ECI). In this process, the voters' list is fundamentally reconstructed and corrected in detail.

Its objectives are:

To include all eligible voters in the list,

To remove unauthorized or ineligible names (such as deceased persons, those who have shifted residence, foreign nationals, or people registered in more than one place),

To ensure transparency and accuracy of the list.

Legal Basis

According to Article 324 of the Constitution, the ECI has the responsibility of preparing elections and managing the electoral roll.

Representation of the People Act, 1950, especially:

Section 16 & 19 – Rules regarding eligibility and voter roll.

Section 21-Gives ECI the right to revise the electoral roll under special circumstances.

Process and Activities

BLOs (Booth Level Officers) go house to house and verify all voters, conduct scrutiny, and carry out inclusion of new names, correction/removal of wrong names, etc. In this work, they are supervised and assisted by the registered agents of recognized political parties in that area, officially called BLA (Booth Level Agents).