Qualified success, Pg8

Key Highlights:

• In recent Bihar Assembly elections, women voters outnumbered men by 4.34 lakh, despite having 42 lakh fewer registrations.
• The Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls preceding the election resulted in disproportionate removal of women, especially those aged 18-29.
• Bihar's electorate gender ratio fell to 892 after the SIR, down from 907 a year earlier.
• The Mukhyamantri Mahila Rojgar Yojana was launched in September, transferring ₹10,000 to women.

Detailed Insights:

• The higher female turnout is likely to benefit the Nitish Kumar government, given its focus on women's empowerment through welfare schemes.
• High male out-migration for work contributes to higher female turnout despite fewer registered female voters.
• Cash transfers and demographic factors appear to have influenced turnout more than political mobilization.
• The Election Commission of India (ECI) has not addressed the discrepancy between the electoral roll gender ratio and the state's population surveys.
• Transparency regarding the SIR process is essential for validating the significance of increased women's electoral participation.
• The Supreme Court directed the release of draft SIR and exclusion data, revealing the disproportionate impact on women.

Key Concepts Involved:

• Special Intensive Revision (SIR): An exercise to update and correct electoral rolls, including adding new voters and removing ineligible ones.
• Mukhyamantri Mahila Rojgar Yojana: A government scheme focused on providing employment opportunities and financial assistance to women.
• Model Code of Conduct: A set of guidelines issued by the ECI to regulate the conduct of political parties during elections.