Declaration Part of Form 6 Changed Since SIR in Bihar, Pg10

Key Highlights:

• The declaration accompanying Form 6 for new voter registrations in Bihar underwent significant changes during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR).
• The revised declaration required prospective voters to provide documentation based on their birth year (before 1987, 1987-2004, or after 2004) and parental citizenship status.
• Later phases of the SIR in Bihar introduced a mandatory declaration on whether the applicant's or their parents' names appeared in the last SIR electoral rolls.
• Two Election Commissioners, Vivek Joshi and Sukhbir Singh Sandhu, raised objections regarding these changes in May and August 2026.
• The Supreme Court of India, in its May 27, 2026 ruling in ADR vs. ECI, upheld the Election Commission of India's (ECI) power to introduce the additional declaration form.

Detailed Insights:

• Form 6 is the standard application form used by the Election Commission of India (ECI) for new voter registrations.
• The Special Intensive Revision (SIR) is a nationwide exercise by the ECI to update and purify electoral rolls by removing ineligible voters and adding eligible ones.
• The varying document requirements for birth proof are linked to amendments in the Citizenship Act, 1955, particularly concerning citizenship by birth.
• For those born after December 2, 2004, documents for both parents are required to establish their citizenship status at the time of the applicant's birth.
• The ECI clarified that it added a separate declaration form (Annexure D) to Form 6 and Form 8, rather than amending Form 6 itself, which is part of the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960.
• Amending the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960, falls under the purview of the Union government, specifically the Ministry of Law and Justice, as these rules are framed under the Representation of the People Act, 1950.
• Despite internal objections, ECI officials maintained that the introduction of the declaration form was unanimously approved by the full three-member commission.
• The Supreme Court ruling affirmed that the SIR exercise and the introduction of the declaration form are within the ECI's statutory mandate under the Representation of the People Act.

Key Concepts Involved:

• Form 6: The application form for inclusion of a name in the electoral roll for eligible Indian citizens.
• Special Intensive Revision (SIR): A comprehensive process undertaken by the Election Commission of India to update and ensure the accuracy of electoral rolls.
• Representation of the People Act, 1950: An Act of Parliament that governs the preparation of electoral rolls and the conduct of elections in India.
• Registration of Electors Rules, 1960: Rules framed under the Representation of the People Act, 1950, detailing the procedures for electoral roll preparation and revision.