Bihar voter rolls purified, says CEC, Pg1.

Key Highlights:

• The Election Commission of India (ECI) declared the successful completion of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar.
• The electoral roll purification drive in Bihar led to the deletion of names of dead electors, foreigners, and permanently shifted individuals.
• The final electoral roll in Bihar includes 7.42 crore voters.
• The ECI will accept Aadhaar as one of the documents for voter identification but clarified it is not proof of citizenship.
• The ECI plans to extend the SIR exercise across the country after 22 years.

Detailed Insights:

• The SIR in Bihar involved a comprehensive cleansing of the voters' list, addressing issues like deceased voters and ineligible individuals.
• District collectors have shared the list of 3.66 lakh deleted individuals with district presidents of recognized political parties for transparency.
• The Supreme Court directed the ECI to accept Aadhaar as a valid identification document during the SIR, but reiterated it doesn't confer citizenship.
• The ECI will implement new initiatives, including webcasting from all booths and limiting the number of voters to 1,200 per booth.
• Voters will be allowed to keep mobile phones outside polling booths, and Booth Level Agents (BLAs) will be stationed near the booths.
• The ECI will deploy revenue service officers to monitor candidates' expenses during the upcoming elections.
• Postal ballots will be fully counted before the conclusion of two rounds of EVM votes in future elections.

Key Concepts Involved:

• Special Intensive Revision (SIR): A systematic process to update and purify electoral rolls by removing ineligible voters and adding eligible ones.
• Booth Level Officer (BLO): A local official responsible for verifying voter information and facilitating voter registration at the grassroots level.
• Electoral Roll: An official list of eligible voters in a particular constituency or area, used for conducting elections.