The don'ts of SIR, Pg 11.

Key Highlights:

• The Election Commission of India (ECI) is preparing to roll out the Special Intensive Review (SIR) of electoral rolls across the country.
• The Supreme Court has fixed dates for the final hearing on the matter of SIR.
• The author argues that the SIR violates the ECI's Manual on Electoral Rolls at every step.
• The SIR order of June 24 invented a new type of revision called "Special Intensive Revision" that did not exist in law.
• Over 65 lakh voters were excluded in the earlier list, triggering provisions of the Manual that require special attention to significant deletions.
• As of September 14, the website of the CEO of Bihar had uploaded only 51% of the records of objections and 39% of the records of new claims.

Detailed Insights:

• The Special Intensive Review (SIR) represents a significant shift in the architecture of universal adult franchise, potentially impacting the inclusivity of the electoral process.
• The Manual on Electoral Rolls provides detailed procedures for making and revising electoral rolls, ensuring a fair and transparent process for universal adult franchise.
• The SIR deviates from established norms by requiring potential voters to submit an Enumeration Form and provide evidence of citizenship, actions that lack legal basis.
• The ECI allegedly disregarded its own guidelines by not verifying polling stations with significant voter deletions or households with a high number of electors.
• Transparency mandates, such as publishing claims and objections on the CEO's website and sharing lists with political parties, were reportedly not followed during the SIR process.
• Data analysis reveals irregularities in claims and objections, including a high percentage of self-objections and applicants outside the typical age group for first-time voters.
• The author questions the secrecy surrounding the SIR exercise and its potential for misuse, raising concerns about the integrity and fairness of the electoral process.

Key Concepts Involved:

• Universal Adult Franchise: The right of all adult citizens to vote, regardless of wealth, income, gender, race, ethnicity, belief, or social status.
• Electoral Roll: A list of persons who are registered to vote in an election.
• Disenfranchisement: The removal of the right to vote from a person or group of people.