Special Intensive Revision of Voter Lists: Rising Deletions, Restoration Drive and the Law on Electoral Rolls
The Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls (voter lists) by the Election Commission of India (ECI) has now covered 30 States and Union Territories. Nearly 13.4 crore names, about 14% of the electorate before the revision, have been removed from the draft rolls.
The share of names deleted has grown in each phase: 8.3% in Bihar (the first SIR, ordered on 24 June 2025), 12.9% across the 12 States and UTs of Phase 2, and 17% in Phase 3.
In West Bengal, the ECI used a new ground for scrutiny called "logical discrepancies" (for example, a mismatch in a parent's name, or an age gap between a voter and a parent of less than 15 or more than 50 years). This method has since been used in other States and UTs.
Concerns have been raised about the process: under the SIR, electors must prove their eligibility; many names were deleted first and checked later; and people struck off can return only as fresh applicants through Form 6. Reports also point to changes in Form 6 made without amending the election rules, and to 16.1 lakh deletion requests in West Bengal against electors already cleared by judicial officers.
The ECI has now directed Booth Level Officers (BLOs) in States where the SIR is complete to compare current rolls with pre-SIR rolls, and to help eligible electors who were left out to re-enrol, through door-to-door checks and special camps.
On 2 October 2026, protests over the SIR were held in Delhi, Mumbai and other cities. The Supreme Court had upheld the legal validity of the SIR on 27 May 2026.
Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of Electoral Rolls
An electoral roll is the official list of voters for a constituency, and only people on it can vote. A Special Intensive Revision is a very detailed check of this list in which it is rebuilt almost from scratch. Officials go house to house, collect an enumeration form from every voter, and check eligibility against documents. The aim is to remove dead, shifted, duplicate and ineligible names and to add eligible new voters.
The rising deletion rate in each phase, the new "logical discrepancies" test and the ECI's own restoration drive are why the SIR is being debated. The core question is how to clean the roll without leaving out genuine voters.
Representation of the People Act, 1950: The Law Behind Voter Lists and Seats
The Representation of the People Act, 1950 (RPA 1950) is the law passed by Parliament that decides who can be a voter, how voter lists are made and corrected, and how many seats each State gets in Parliament and the State legislatures. Think of it as the rulebook for "getting ready" for elections. The actual conduct of elections, like nominations, voting, counting and disqualification of candidates, is covered by a separate law, the RPA 1951. So if you want to know why your name is on (or missing from) the voter list, the answer lies in the RPA 1950.
Every part of the SIR debate is a question about this Act: the ECI's power comes from Section 21(3), deletions must follow the hearing rule in Section 22, re-entry happens through Form 6 under the 1960 Rules, and false mass objections are punishable under Section 31.
Article 326 and the Right to Vote
Article 326 of the Constitution says elections to the Lok Sabha and the State Legislative Assemblies will be held on the basis of universal adult suffrage. This means every citizen aged 18 or above can vote, without any test of property, education, caste, religion or gender. A person can be kept off the list only on grounds set by law: non-residence, unsoundness of mind, crime, or corrupt or illegal practice. The voter list is how this right is turned into practice: if your name is missing, you cannot vote.
The large number of deletions has led to the concern that the SIR may block universal adult franchise. Under Article 326, a genuine adult citizen who is ordinarily resident should not lose the vote because of a paperwork mismatch.
T.N. Seshan v. Union of India (1995): The Multi-Member Election Commission
T.N. Seshan v. Union of India is the 1995 Supreme Court judgment that upheld making the Election Commission a three-member body. It ruled that the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) and the Election Commissioners (ECs) are equal in decision-making. When they disagree, the majority view prevails. The CEC is the chairperson, but cannot overrule the other two.
The SIR is a decision of the Commission as a whole. Under the majority rule upheld in this case, the two Election Commissioners, Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi, together have the legal power to outvote the CEC on how the exercise is run.
- SIR coverage: 30 States and UTs; about 13.4 crore names removed from draft rolls (about 14% of the pre-revision electorate)
- Deletion rate by phase: 8.3% (Bihar), 12.9% (Phase 2, 12 States and UTs), 17% (Phase 3)
- Bihar SIR ordered: 24 June 2025; Supreme Court upheld the SIR: 27 May 2026
- West Bengal: 16.1 lakh deletion requests against electors already cleared by judicial officers; "logical discrepancies" category first used there
- Re-entry for deleted electors: as fresh applicants through Form 6 (Registration of Electors Rules, 1960)
- Legal basis of SIR: Article 324 read with Section 21(3), RPA 1950
- Current ECI: CEC Gyanesh Kumar; Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi
- ECI decisions: by majority if not unanimous (Section 18, 2023 Act; upheld in principle in T.N. Seshan, 1995)