Syllabus: Salient features of the Representation of People’s Act
Context
- After Bihar SIR faced criticism from political parties and Supreme Court, ECI announced nationwide SIR (SIR 2.0).
- Purported as paperless, people-friendly, procedurally robust undertaking ensuring electoral roll accuracy and credibility comprehensively.
- Nearly one billion voter entries: digital approach not only inevitable but essential for maintaining database precision.
Core Problem
- Persistent issue: double or multiple listing of single voter affecting citizens who shift residences eroding system confidence.
- Recent case (Prashant Kishor): name appears in both Bihar and West Bengal rolls illustrating procedural flaw significantly.
- Duplication defeats core purpose: ensuring no voter listed in one state remains enrolled elsewhere undermining database credibility.
Legal Framework
- Representation of People’s Act, 1950 Provisions
- Section 22(b): if voter changes residence within same constituency, ERO should transpose entry to appropriate part.
- Section 23(2): when voter moves to another constituency, ERO directs inclusion in new roll after satisfaction.
- Section 23(2) further requires: if applicant already registered elsewhere, ERO must inform other constituency officer for deletion.
- Sections 17 and 18: explicitly prohibit multiple registrations; no person listed in more than one constituency or twice.
- Violations constitute offence under electoral law; duplication occurs when name added at new place but not deleted from previous.
- Form 8 Categories
- ECI consolidated provisions in Form 8 for transposition or correction; change of address falls under four categories.
- Type IV (change in constituency and state): most frequent cause of double entries when voter relocates to another state.
- New entry may retain same EPIC (Electors Photo Identity Card) number or generate new one causing confusion.
- Accountability lies with EROs whose prompt coordination essential to prevent duplication in national electoral roll.
- Form 6 (new inclusion) without declaring existing registration elsewhere constitutes legal violation with shared accountability.
ECINet System
- Backbone of electoral roll: fully digital, nationwide system managed by C-DAC Pune for database management.
- Nearly one billion voter records: ranks among world’s largest dynamic databases ensuring comprehensive coverage nationwide.
- Each voter identified by unique EPIC number ensuring single verifiable entry per individual preventing duplication.
- ECINet can detect duplicates, flag inconsistencies, facilitate corrections through authorized verification ensuring accuracy.
- Should incorporate voter’s update history for complete traceability enhancing transparency and accountability in system.
Way Forward
- SIR 2.0 must not degenerate into bureaucratic ritual; gaps are administrative, not technological requiring systemic reforms.
- ECINet should be enhanced through seamless integration with Aadhaar (only credible pan-India database) for independent verification.
- Before SIR 2.0 begins: electoral data must be cleaned, duplicates flagged and deleted ensuring database accuracy.
- Software-led validation, digital audit trails, real-time corrections must be focus shifting from verification by ritual to verification by design.
- ECINet function as reliable public utility: intuitive, glitch-free, responsive with real-time dispute resolution mechanism replacing long queues.
- Transparent, self-correcting feedback system will make future SIRs unnecessary; electoral rolls stay perpetually accurate, updated, verifiable ensuring integrity.
Q- Discuss the significance and challenges of implementing nationwide special intervention programs in India for improving social and economic inclusion. Support your answer with recent examples. (15 Marks)