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The Election Commission of India (ECI) has initiated the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) 2025, a large-scale verification exercise aimed at ensuring that India’s electoral rolls remain accurate, inclusive, and up-to-date. Covering twelve States and Union Territories, this marks the most comprehensive revision of voter records in nearly two decades.

Purpose and Objectives

The SIR 2025 is designed to:

• Authenticate voter data to eliminate duplication and ineligible entries.
• Verify citizenship and age to ensure that only eligible Indian citizens remain on the rolls.
• Update demographic information such as addresses and photographs.
• Enhance transparency in the voter registration process and strengthen public trust in electoral institutions.

Through this exercise, the ECI seeks to uphold the Representation of the People Act, 1950, which mandates a clean and credible electoral register as the foundation of free and fair elections.

Implementation and Process

The revision process is being carried out by the Election Commission under the supervision of the Chief Election Commissioner and coordinated at the State and district levels through Chief Electoral Officers (CEOs), District Magistrates (DMs), and Electoral Registration Officers (EROs).

Key stages of the exercise include:

• Enumeration and Data Collection: Field officials known as Booth Level Officers (BLOs) visit households to distribute and collect pre-filled forms containing existing voter details.
  Voters may also submit or verify their information online via the ECI’s voter portal.
• Verification through Historical Records: Citizens are encouraged to confirm their or a family member’s presence in electoral rolls from earlier intensive revisions (2002–2005). This helps maintain continuity in the voter database and authenticate older registrations.
• Document-Based Scrutiny: In cases where a voter cannot trace prior records, documents proving identity, residence, age, and citizenship are reviewed. This ensures compliance with the Citizenship Act, 1955, particularly for voters born after 1987.
• Draft and Final Roll Publication: Following field verification, draft rolls are published for public inspection and correction. After resolving claims and objections, the final electoral rolls are released, forming the official list for upcoming elections.

Significance of the SIR 2025

• Reviving Electoral Accuracy: This is the first full-scale revision of voter rolls in nearly twenty years, addressing issues like outdated entries, migration, and data mismatches.
• Citizenship Assurance: The verification framework ensures that only legitimate Indian citizens exercise voting rights, strengthening electoral credibility.
• Technological Modernisation: Integration with digital platforms such as the ECI voter portal enhances accessibility and reduces manual errors.
• Transparency and Accountability: The participation of political party representatives as Booth Level Agents (BLAs) provides an additional layer of oversight.
• Foundation for Free and Fair Elections: A verified, inclusive, and error-free voter list is critical to maintaining the integrity of democratic processes and protecting voter rights.