The Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls — a door-to-door verification exercise conducted by the Election Commission of India (ECI) — has emerged as one of the most consequential and contested electoral reforms in recent Indian political history, with Bihar serving as the pilot state where its consequences first became visible ahead of the recently concluded Bihar Assembly elections, and Delhi currently undergoing a similar month-long exercise across 13,033 polling booths in 70 Assembly constituencies. Twenty-three opposition parties, in a joint memorandum to Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, have alleged that the SIR process in Bihar and West Bengal, coupled with alleged manipulation in Delhi, Haryana, and Maharashtra elections, threatens the independence of India’s electoral institutions.
For UPSC and SSC aspirants, the SIR debate is a rich, multi-dimensional topic spanning constitutional law (Article 324, the Representation of the People Act), Election Commission functioning, and Centre-State/political-party relations — making it essential preparation material, particularly given its direct Bihar origin and relevance.
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Background and Context
The Special Intensive Revision was first rolled out comprehensively in Bihar prior to its recent Assembly elections, requiring door-to-door verification of every elector’s citizenship and residency status — a departure from the routine “Summary Revision” previously used to update electoral rolls. Following the Bihar Assembly elections, the exercise was subsequently extended to Delhi (from June 30, 2026) and West Bengal, drawing sustained opposition criticism regarding both its legal basis and its practical execution.
Five Important Key Points
- The Special Intensive Revision (SIR) is a door-to-door exercise verifying electors’ eligibility, first comprehensively implemented in Bihar before its recent Assembly elections and now being replicated in Delhi (since June 30, 2026) and West Bengal.
- In Delhi, the SIR exercise covers 13,033 polling booths across 70 Assembly constituencies, with Booth Level Agents (BLAs) appointed by political parties — BJP (12,809), Congress (10,698), and AAP (9,290) — tasked with assisting the process, though ground reports indicate poor BLA presence and low citizen awareness.
- Twenty-three opposition parties, in a joint memorandum to the Chief Justice of India dated June 28, 2026, alleged that the Election Commission’s conduct — including the SIR process — reflects declining institutional independence, citing the removal of the Chief Justice of India from the Chief Election Commissioner appointment committee through subsequent legislation.
- The Opposition specifically challenged the rationale for SIR in Bihar, arguing that despite claims about Bangladeshi infiltration into electoral rolls motivating the exercise, no public data has been furnished to substantiate large-scale illegal inclusion of foreign nationals.
- The All-India Feminist Alliance (ALIFA-NAPM) has separately petitioned the Election Commission, citing an 8.9% drop in registered voters across the first two SIR phases in 13 States/Union Territories, with disproportionate deletion rates among women, transgender persons, and marginalised communities.
Constitutional and Legal Framework
The Election Commission derives its authority to prepare and revise electoral rolls from Article 324 of the Constitution, read with the Representation of the People Act, 1950, and the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960. The landmark Supreme Court judgment in Anoop Baranwal v. Union of India (2023) had mandated a broad-based committee — including the Chief Justice of India — for appointing the Chief Election Commissioner and Election Commissioners, a composition subsequently altered through parliamentary legislation, which the Opposition argues has compromised the Commission’s institutional independence — a central grievance in the current SIR controversy.
Bihar’s Pioneering and Contested Role
Bihar’s position as the pilot state for SIR carries particular historical weight, given the state’s status as an early test case for electoral roll integrity concerns dating back decades. The Bihar exercise, completed ahead of the recent Assembly elections, became the template subsequently replicated in Delhi and West Bengal. Opposition parties allege that post-SIR, Bihar’s electoral outcomes reflected these “manipulated” processes, though the Election Commission maintains that the exercise strengthens roll accuracy by removing duplicate, deceased, or ineligible entries and updating migrant electors’ details — a genuine governance need given Bihar’s high rates of seasonal out-migration for employment, which often leaves electoral rolls outdated.
Governance Concerns: Implementation Gaps
Ground reporting from Delhi’s ongoing SIR — extendable to Bihar’s completed exercise by analogy — reveals implementation gaps: Booth Level Agents, meant to assist enumeration and improve transparency, are largely missing from the ground in several constituencies, with citizens reporting confusion about the exercise’s purpose and process. This implementation deficit raises questions about whether the SIR’s stated objectives of inclusivity and accuracy are being met in practice, irrespective of the exercise’s legal validity.
Social Impact: Gender and Marginalised Community Concerns
The ALIFA-NAPM’s data-based intervention — highlighting disproportionate voter deletion among women, transgender persons, and marginalised communities during the first two SIR phases — points to a specific governance risk: reliance on patriarchal lineage documentation and rigid household-based verification methods can systematically disadvantage women who lack independent property or identity documentation, and transgender individuals who may be estranged from family-based verification chains.
Way Forward
The Election Commission should publish granular, constituency-wise SIR data — including deletion reasons and demographic breakdowns — to enable independent verification of claims regarding both foreign national inclusion and legitimate elector exclusion. Expanding acceptable identity documentation (including gazette notifications for transgender identity and alternative address proofs) and ensuring adequate BLA deployment before the next SIR phase are essential to reconcile roll accuracy with electoral inclusivity — a balance central to India’s constitutional commitment to universal adult suffrage under Article 326.
Relevance for UPSC and SSC Examinations
GS-II: Election Commission of India, Article 324, Representation of the People Act, Anoop Baranwal judgment, electoral reforms. SSC Relevance: Structure and functions of the Election Commission, key constitutional articles related to elections. Key Terms: Special Intensive Revision (SIR), Booth Level Agents (BLA), Anoop Baranwal v. Union of India, Article 324, Article 326, Representation of the People Act 1950.