IAS/UPSC Coaching Institute  

28 Oct 2025 : Devil in the details

 Editorial 2: ​​Devil in the details

Context

ECI’s Roll Revision Drive Must Avoid Bihar’s Flaws

 

Introduction

The Election Commission of India (ECI) has launched a Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls across 12 States and Union Territories to correct errors caused by migration, deceased voters, and inaccuracies. However, experiences from Bihar show that despite good intent, the process risks large-scale disenfranchisement—especially of women and youth—due to procedural haste, digital gaps, and verification flaws.

 

Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of Electoral Rolls

Context and Objective

  • After Bihar, the Election Commission of India (ECI) has launched a Special Intensive Revision (SIR) in 12 States and Union Territories.
  • Goal: To update rolls affected by
    • Frequent migration
    • Deaths of voters
    • Inaccuracies flagged by political parties, especially the Congress.

 

Lessons from Bihar

  • Duration: Conducted on a short timeline — about a month for enumeration and a month for claims & objections.
  • New Change: Introduction of a 54-day notice period for hearing and verification.
  • Outcome: The hurried process led to statistical distortions in voter data.

Issue

Observation in Bihar

Implication

Gender ratio

Fell from 907 → 892 women per 1,000 men

Indicates disproportionate exclusion of women voters

Age group affected

18–29 years

Marked deletions under “permanently shifted” category

Pattern noted

High female turnout areas showed higher female deletions

Reflects procedural bias contrary to stated objectives

 

Procedural Weaknesses

  • Burden of verification lies heavily on:
    • Citizens themselves, and
    • Booth Level Agents (BLAs) of political parties.
  • This reliance is problematic as:
    • Party representatives may act from partisan interests.
    • Booth Level Officers (BLOs) have limited capacity for extensive verification.

 

ECI’s Response and Shortcomings

  • ECI’s stance: Those left out can re-register with help from BLAs — an inadequate remedy.
  • Supreme Court intervention:
    • Directed ECI to publish lists of excluded voters with reasons.
    • Led to partial correction, but structural flaws remain.
  • New model: Being expanded nationwide, despite concerns from Bihar’s experience.

 

Continuing Risks

Area

Concern

Explanation

Temporary migrants

May be absent during verification

Risk losing voting rights despite being “ordinarily resident”

Digital solutions

Online Enumeration Form

Fails to address digital divide and literacy barriers

Field verification

BLOs’ three-visit rule

Still inadequate for large urban or migrant populations

 

Way Forward

  • Civil society, media, and political parties must exercise intense vigilance.
  • Goal: Prevent errors that could undermine the integrity of India’s electoral democracy.

 

Conclusion

While the SIR initiative reflects the ECI’s drive for cleaner voter rolls, its implementation must avoid excluding genuine electors. Over-reliance on digital tools, limited field verification, and citizen burden threaten inclusiveness. Strengthening transparency, ensuring due process, and enabling civil society vigilance are essential to safeguard the integrity of India’s electoral democracy and the principle of universal adult suffrage.