All You Need To Know About Special Intensive Revision (SIR) in Bihar

1. What is context?

Election Commission of India issued notification for verification of Bihar’s 8 crore voters. The process is known as Special Intensive Revision (SIR). Under this process. all voters in Bihar need to resubmit the enumeration (registration) form with fresh identity of documents. Moreover, those whose names were not in the electoral rolls of 2003, will have to provide additional documents and this is the main issue.  It is basically the revision of electoral roll.

2. Constitutional and Legal Provisions

1) Article 324: Election commission of India (ECI) will prepare electoral rolls for Parliament and State Legislature elections.

 

2) Article 326: Every citizen whose age is not less than 18 years of age can enroll his/her name in electoral roll.

 

3) Representation of People Act (RPA 1950) also allows ECI to prepare electoral rolls.

 

4) As per section 19 of above act (RPA 1950), person should not be less than 18 years old and should be ‘ordinarily resident’ of the constituency where he/she is going to enroll the name in electoral roll.

 

5) Section 20 of the above act defines who is ‘ordinarily resident’. It states that if person owns the house in constituency that does not mean he/she is ordinarily resident of the constituency. Also, it states that A person absenting himself temporarily from his place of ordinary residence shall not by reason thereof cease to be ordinarily resident therein.

 

6) Section 21 of the same act allows ECI to revise the electoral rolls if necessary.

3. Why the exercise is being opposed ?

1) I.N.D.I.A block is opposing the exercise on the ground that it is designed to benefit NDA.

 

2) Timing: Why ECI is doing it just before elections and why only in Bihar.

 

3) Over 3 crore people who weren’t in the 2003 rolls face a heavier documentation process.

 

4) If the parents were not listed in 2003 list, voters born after 1987 must now also furnish their parents’ date and place of birth.

 

5) The clause empowering Electoral Registration Officers to decide on “claims and objections” has raised an alarm, with opposition leaders fearing misuse.

 

6) Moreover, the common Identity Card like Adhar Card will not be accepted as proof of document thereby creating possibility of leaving out many poor voters in Bihar.

 

7) Migrants could be excluded due to ‘ordinarily resident’ clause.

4. Way Forward

1) The EC should ensure that adequate safeguards are put in place for the completion of the exercise without errors.


2) The Booth Level Officers (BLOs) should actively participate to prevent errors of omission or addition.


3) ECI should ensure that no eligible citizen would be excluded from the voter list due to inability to produce any document from the given list.


4) Migrant workers should not be removed from the rolls as that can result in significant deletions

5. Conclusion

The ongoing revision of Bihar’s electoral rolls, under the Election Commission’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR), is aimed at cleaning outdated voter data and ensuring electoral integrity. While the move is constitutionally backed and intended to remove ineligible or duplicate entries, it has triggered concerns about its execution and potential consequences. Ultimately, the success of this initiative depends on transparent governance, inclusive outreach, and fair implementation. Strengthening trust through extended timelines, simplified procedures, and active stakeholder engagement is essential to ensure that electoral integrity is upheld without sacrificing democratic inclusion.

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