Pan-India SIR:The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Monday detailed the nationwide voter list verification and clean-up drive, known as the Special Intensive Revision (SIR), aimed at purging inaccuracies and ensuring that every eligible citizen is included in the electoral rolls.
Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar announced that the second phase of this massive exercise will now cover 12 States and Union Territories, including Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Goa, Puducherry, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, and Lakshadweep.
The first phase, conducted in Bihar, concluded successfully with “zero appeals”, Chief Election Commission (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar claimed.
Pan-India SIR: What Is Special Intensive Revision?
The SIR is the Election Commission’s countrywide drive to overhaul electoral rolls through house-to-house verification. It seeks to remove duplicate, ineligible, or deceased voters, while ensuring inclusion of all eligible citizens above 18 years of age who are ordinarily residents of their constituencies.
This is the ninth such SIR since Independence, and the first in over two decades — the last having been conducted between 2002 and 2004. The Commission said the exercise was prompted by challenges such as frequent migration, multiple registrations, and non-removal of deceased voters.
Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar noted, “Political parties have raised the issue of quality of electoral rolls on several occasions,” adding that the SIR will help make the lists more accurate and transparent.
Pan-India SIR: Key Dates and Timeline
The Election Commission has issued a detailed calendar for the Pan-India SIR process:
• Printing and Training: 28 October – 3 November 2025
• House-to-House Enumeration: 4 November – 4 December 2025
• Publication of Draft Electoral Rolls: 9 December 2025
• Claims and Objections Period: 9 December 2025 – 8 January 2026
• Verification and Hearing Phase: 9 December 2025 – 31 January 2026
• Publication of Final Electoral Rolls: 7 February 2026
Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar said at a press briefing in Delhi, “Today we are here regarding the rollout of the second phase of the Special Intensive Revision. I extend my greetings to the voters of Bihar and bow before the 7.5 crore voters who took part in a successful SIR. The Commission also met election officials from all 36 states and discussed the process in detail.”
CEC Kumar confirmed that the electoral rolls will be frozen immediately to begin the process, stating, “In the states where SIR will be conducted, electoral rolls will be frozen at midnight today. Later, voters will be given unique enumeration forms with all details.”
Pan-India SIR: How the Process Works
The voter list revision will be carried out through Enumeration Forms (EFs), printed as of 27 October 2025. Each polling station — typically comprising around 1,000 electors — will be assigned a Booth Level Officer (BLO), who will visit households to distribute, verify, and collect the forms.
BLOs will assist voters in matching or linking their details with the last SIR conducted in 2002–2004. They will make at least three household visits to ensure accuracy. For urban and migrant voters, an online option will also be available via https://voters.eci.gov.in.
CEC Gyanesh Kumar said, “Many a time, when the BLO visits a house, voters may not be available or may be visiting somewhere else, they might be taking time in matching/linking. So, BLOs will visit every house thrice. To resolve the issue of migrants, they can do this online too. Urban voters have their office hours during the day, so they too can do it online. BLOs will also be responsible for that when they give the enumeration form; the voter has to return it after signing. So, if the voter has died or has migrated permanently or is registered at more than one place, they will not be able to sign it. Identifying such voters is the responsibility of the BLO…”
Once forms are collected, Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) and Assistant Electoral Registration Officers (AEROs) will compile the draft rolls, issue notices to voters whose details cannot be matched, and conduct hearings before finalising the electoral lists.
If voters disagree with an ERO’s decision, they can file appeals — first before the District Magistrate, and second before the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of the State or Union Territory.
Pan-India SIR: Political Parties and Public Involvement
The ECI has asked CEOs, DEOs, and EROs to meet recognised political parties and explain the entire SIR process. Political parties will deploy Booth Level Agents (BLAs), who can collect, verify, and submit up to 50 Enumeration Forms daily to BLOs. This collaborative mechanism aims to increase transparency and ensure cross-verification of data.
The Commission also emphasised that no eligible citizen should be left out, and no ineligible person should be included. Volunteers will be deployed to help the elderly, persons with disabilities, and economically weaker groups, ensuring that they are not harassed and receive necessary assistance during verification.
Rationalisation of Polling Stations
To improve accessibility, the ECI has directed that no polling station should have more than 1,200 electors. New polling stations will be set up in high-rise colonies, residential welfare associations (RWAs), and slum clusters. The Commission has asked officials to ensure that family members are assigned to the same polling station.
Pan-India SIR: Documents For Verification
The Commission listed several acceptable documents for verification if the voters’ details do not match the last SIR conducted in 2002–2004. These include birth certificates, passports, educational certificates, residence proofs, government-issued IDs, and caste certificates.
Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar clarified that while Aadhaar can be used as an identity proof, it does not serve as proof of citizenship, domicile, or date of birth. “Aadhaar not proof of citizenship, but can be furnished as identity proof in SIR exercise,” he said.
