Declaration with Form 6 now only in SIR States, Pg13

Key Highlights:

• The Election Commission (EC) has removed the mandatory declaration for online Form 6 submissions in states not undergoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
• This declaration, which required mapping self or parents with previous electoral rolls, was previously added for the SIR process.
• The change addresses issues where applicants could not submit online forms without completing the declaration, a concern flagged by Election Commissioners in May and August 2026.
• The EC announced on a Saturday that the declaration would now only be required during the SIR period.
• On a subsequent Tuesday, the EC also removed fields for parents' and grandparents' details from the online Form 6.

Detailed Insights:

• Form 6 is primarily used for fresh voter registration, but during SIR, it was also utilized for re-enlisting voters deleted during enumeration.
• The controversy arose because the declaration, while intended for SIR, became a mandatory field for all online Form 6 submissions, including those for new voters.
• Election Commissioners had reportedly raised concerns about the legality of this mandatory declaration, as Form 6 is governed by the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960.
• Only the Central government has the authority to amend the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960, and by extension, Form 6.
• EC officials clarified that Form 6 itself was not amended, but the declaration was added alongside it, with online submission issues attributed to IT department changes.
• The Special Intensive Revision (SIR) is a comprehensive exercise by the Election Commission of India to ensure accurate and updated electoral rolls, often involving house-to-house verification.

Key Concepts Involved:

• Form 6: The official application form for inclusion of a name in the electoral roll for new voter registration in India.
• Special Intensive Revision (SIR): A thorough exercise conducted by the Election Commission of India to verify and revise electoral rolls, ensuring accuracy and completeness.
• Election Commission (EC): An autonomous constitutional authority responsible for administering Union and State election processes in India, including electoral roll preparation.
• Registration of Electors Rules, 1960: Statutory rules framed under the Representation of the People Act, 1950, governing the preparation, revision, and maintenance of electoral rolls.