In the new election commission (EC) has introduced a new requirement for people applying to register as voters to provide details related to their parents' Special Intensive Revision (SIR) when applying to be included on electoral rolls through Form 6.
This is the expansion of a provision introduced in the current Special Intensive Revision exercise that now applies to all new voter registration.
The requirement is not limited to the electors who were not part of the previous verification process, Election Commission officials said. Instead, every new applicant applying for Form 6 to be enrolled as a voter would need to submit a declaration that contains details on their parents' SIR.
The declaration was first introduced during the Bihar Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise in June last year. Since then, applicants in the state have been required to submit the declaration along with Form 6 when applying for voter registration.
But officials said the requirement has been implemented by administrative instructions and that the official Form 6 itself has not been updated.
The Commission says the SIR details of parents can help to map electors more precisely and reduce the number of supporting documents that applicants would need to submit to become registered in the registration process.
Election Commission officials have also said the requirement has now become mandatory for online registrations. Anyone using the digital Form 6 portal can’t register a voter until they have filled out the registration form for their parents’ SIR details.
The Commission believes the measure will simplify the verification process while improving the accuracy of electoral records.
The news comes as the Special Intensive Revision exercise has been in dispute among opposition parties and international observers.
More recently, UN Special Rapporteurs expressed concerns about the transparency of SIR process in a communication to the Government of India. They questioned aspects of the revision exercise and expressed concerns about its possible impact on voting rights.
The Election Commission has rejected those allegations.
EC officials said the Special Intensive Revision is being carried out strictly in accordance with constitutional provisions and has also received support from the Supreme Court.
The main objective of the exercise is to ensure that the electoral rolls are accurate and up to date by including all eligible Indian citizens as well as removing duplicate entries, deceased voters, people who have permanently moved to another country, absent electors, and foreign nationals who are not eligible to vote.
The Commission also dismissed allegations that the revision process disproportionately affects minority communities, including that of electoral roll revisions in Nandigram, West Bengal.
EC officials said any eligible voter has an opportunity to object to the removal from the electoral rolls or to appeal the action. Special Intensive Revision, as it is called, is an administrative process, which is aimed only at improving the credibility of the voter database in India.
Now that parents' SIR declaration is essentially mandatory for both the offline and online Form 6, prospective voters will need to provide the required information while registering. The Election Commission maintains that the measure is intended to simplify voter verification and strengthen the electoral roll, even as the debate among supporters over the overall SIR exercise continues.
