ECI Separates Online Form For Registration Of Fresh Voters And SIR Declaration, Pg11

Key Highlights:

• The Election Commission of India (ECI) has separated the online submission of Form 6 for fresh voter registration and the accompanying Special Intensive Revision (SIR) declaration.
• This change applies to states where the SIR exercise is currently underway.
• Previously, both documents were submitted together using a single OTP and e-sign, which raised concerns about procedural integrity.
• The separation addresses issues flagged in dissent notes by Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi.
• Applicants must now complete both steps separately, each requiring distinct OTP verification and e-Sign for successful submission.

Detailed Insights:

• Form 6 is the standard application used by eligible citizens to register as new voters or to get their names included in the electoral roll.
• The Special Intensive Revision (SIR) is a comprehensive, nationwide exercise conducted by the ECI to meticulously verify and update electoral rolls through house-to-house enumeration.
• The ECI had earlier withdrawn the combined declaration from its digital platforms in states where the SIR exercise had already been completed.
• The previous single OTP system for both Form 6 and the SIR declaration led to suggestions that the form might have been altered without the approval of the Union Law Ministry.
• The ECI clarified in a court affidavit that online applications for Form 6 would now be divided into two distinct parts, mirroring the process for physical submissions.

Key Concepts Involved:

• Election Commission of India (ECI): An autonomous constitutional body responsible for the superintendence, direction, and control of elections in India.
• Form 6: The prescribed application form for inclusion of a name in the electoral roll, primarily for new voters or those shifting constituencies.
• Special Intensive Revision (SIR): A detailed, ground-up exercise by the ECI to ensure accurate electoral rolls by identifying deceased, shifted, or duplicate entries.
• OTP Verification: A security measure where a one-time password is sent to authenticate a user's identity during online transactions.
• e-Sign: A service that allows individuals to digitally sign documents online, providing legal validity to electronic signatures.