"SIR Process Deletes Millions from Electoral Rolls in Southern States"
Special Intensive Revision (SIR)
ECI's most comprehensive door-to-door electoral roll verification, conducted roughly once every 20 years.
ASDD Framework
Classification of proposed voter deletions as Absent, Shifted, Dead, or Duplicate during roll revision.
India's electoral roll management rests on Article 324 of the Constitution, which vests superintendence, direction, and control of elections in the Election Commission of India (ECI), an independent constitutional body. The right to vote flows from Articles 325 and 326, which prohibit exclusion on grounds of religion, race, caste, or sex, and guarantee adult suffrage to every citizen above 18 years. The statutory framework is the Representation of the People Act, 1950 (RPA 1950), which governs preparation and revision of electoral rolls, and the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960, which prescribe the procedural mechanics of enrolment, deletion, and correction.
The Special Intensive Revision (SIR) is the most comprehensive form of roll revision the ECI undertakes. It is distinct from routine annual summary revisions. It involves door-to-door verification by Booth Level Officers (BLOs) across every polling station, using Form 6 for new enrolments, Form 7 for deletions, and Form 8 for corrections. The ASDD framework, classifying voters as Absent, Shifted, Dead, or Duplicate, is the operative tool for identifying names proposed for deletion. Because SIR is designed to be conducted only once in approximately 20 years, its scale and finality make procedural rigour especially critical.
The ECI's authority under Article 324 is plenary in character. The Supreme Court has consistently held that the Commission's powers are not exhausted by the enumerated provisions of the RPA and that it may take all necessary steps to ensure free and fair elections. However, this broad authority comes with a corresponding obligation of transparency and procedural fairness. The claims-and-objections mechanism under the RPA allows citizens to challenge proposed deletions. But this mechanism places the burden of proof on the elector, not on the state, a structural asymmetry that disadvantages mobile, migrant, and marginalised populations.
The elector-to-population ratio is the primary statistical test for detecting under-enrolment. Publishing this ratio for each state during a revision exercise is mandatory under the ECI's own guidelines. It allows independent verification of whether deletions are proportionate to actual demographic change. …
For election to the Lok Sabha, a nomination paper can be filed by
Examine the need for electoral reforms as suggested by various committees with particular reference to the 'One Nation–One Election' principle.
How many Delimitation Commissions have been constituted by the Government of India till December 2023?
Consider the following statements regarding the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in India:
1.It is conducted under the authority of Article 324 of the Constitution read with the Representation of the People Act, 1950.
2.Booth Level Officers use the ASDD framework to classify proposed deletions as Absent, Shifted, Dead, or Duplicate.
3.Publishing the elector-to-population ratio for each State during a revision exercise is mandatory under ECI guidelines.
4.A voter who shifts from one constituency to another within the same State is automatically removed from the State's electoral roll.
How many of the above statements are correct?
Match the following forms used in electoral roll revision with their purpose:
List I (Form) — List II (Purpose)
A.Form 6 — 1. Correction of entries in electoral roll
B.Form 7 — 2. New enrolment as a voter
C.Form 8 — 3. Objection to inclusion / deletion of a name
Which of the following is the correct matching?
Consider the following statements regarding the constitutional basis of the right to vote in India:
1.Article 325 prohibits exclusion from the electoral roll on grounds of religion, race, caste, or sex.
2.Article 326 guarantees the right to vote to every citizen of India who is not less than 18 years of age and is not otherwise disqualified.
3.The Election Commission of India derives its authority solely from the Representation of the People Act, 1950, and not from the Constitution directly.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
With reference to the claims-and-objections mechanism under India's electoral roll revision process, consider the following statements:
1.The mechanism places the primary burden of challenging an erroneous deletion on the elector, not on the Election Commission.
2.A voter deleted from the roll of one constituency within a State is automatically removed from the State's electoral roll entirely.
3.The elector-to-population ratio is the primary statistical test used to detect under-enrolment in a State.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Which of the following best describes the ASDD framework used by the Election Commission of India during Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls?
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