Syllabus: Salient features of the Representation of People’s Act
Context: Election Commission launches SIR 2.0 in 12 States and UTs covering 51 crore voters, including poll-bound Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Kerala, Puducherry.
About Electoral Rolls
- Electoral Roll is official list of eligible, registered voters within specific constituency.
- Prepared by ECI under Representation of the People Act, 1950 for fair elections.
- It excludes non-citizens (Section 16) and includes citizens aged 18+, ordinarily resident (Section 19).
About Special Intensive Revision (SIR)
- SIR is focused, time-bound house-to-house verification by Booth Level Officers (BLOs).
- Updates electoral rolls through new registrations, deletions, modifications ensuring accuracy and inclusiveness.
- Section 21, RP Act 1950 empowers ECI to conduct special revision anytime.
Constitutional and Judicial Basis
- Article 324: ECI supervises electoral roll preparation and election conduct with broad powers.
- Article 326: Guarantees universal adult suffrage for citizens aged 18 and above unless disqualified.
- Mohinder Singh Gill case (1977): Supreme Court upheld ECI’s powers under Article 324.
Need for SIR
- Creates error-free voter list removing ineligible voters, adding eligible ones, correcting errors systematically.
- Safeguards “one person, one vote” removing ghost voters, duplicates maintaining democratic legitimacy.
- Boosts voter participation through awareness drives, door-to-door surveys, especially benefiting marginalized groups.
- Supports digital integration and policy reforms like remote voting for migrants enhancing accessibility.
Concerns with SIR
- Risk of mass disenfranchisement: Exclusion of Aadhaar, ration cards impacting underprivileged voters.
- Impact on migrant workers: Difficulty proving residence due to frequent moves risking exclusion.
- Suspicions of stealth NRC: Birth certificates requirement may systematically exclude marginalized, minority groups.
- Lack of public consultation: Top-down implementation, excessive documentation undermining universal suffrage for illiterate/homeless.
Strengthening SIR Process
- Inclusive documentation: Permit Aadhaar for residency verification with legacy data cross-verification safeguards.
- Robust verification: Aadhaar-Voter ID linking, BLO door-to-door verification, regular audits ensuring transparency.
- Political-legal consensus: ECI stakeholder consultation, public awareness campaigns, judicial oversight by special tribunals.
- Technology safeguards: AI anomaly detection, blockchain voter logs, real-time tracking dashboard preventing tampering.
- Inclusivity measures: Special camps for disabled/tribals, multilingual helplines, post-revision sample surveys minimizing exclusions.
Q. What is Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls? Discuss the constitutional and legal basis for conducting SIR in India. (150 words, 10 marks)