EC mandates parents’ SIR details for new voter registration applications

The Election Commission has made it mandatory for new voter applicants to provide their parents' Special Intensive Revision (SIR) details while filing Form 6. The poll body also defended the SIR exercise, rejecting concerns over transparency and alleged voter exclusions

New Delhi: It’s not only existing voters not covered in previous Special Intensive Revision (SIR) who have to submit their parents’ SIR details to remain on the electoral rolls, but also the new applicants seeking inclusion in the voter list, according to EC officials.

By issuing instructions, the Election Commission (EC) has made it mandatory to attach SIR details of parents for new voters filling Form 6 for inclusion in the electoral rolls.

---

The declaration was added in the Bihar SIR rolled out in June last year. New voters were made to file the declaration along with Form 6.

“Daily SIR bulletins of Bihar showed the form filled along with declarations,” an EC functionary said. The functionary underlined that the declaration was added through instructions and Form 6 has not been amended.

“It helps in mapping electors and reduces the documents new voters need to submit along with the application,” the official added. If a person fills Form 6 online, he or she cannot proceed further till the declaration is filled.

Separately, the poll authority has defended the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, rejecting concerns raised by UN rapporteurs and asserting that the process is transparent, constitutional and endorsed by the Supreme Court.

EC officials said the SIR aims to include all eligible Indian citizens while removing duplicate, deceased, shifted, absent and foreign voters from electoral rolls.

Responding to allegations of large-scale deletion of minority voters, including in Nandigram, West Bengal, EC officials said voters had adequate opportunities to challenge exclusions and denied any bias. In a recent letter to the government, UN Special Rapporteurs have raised concerns over the SIR, alleging that the process lacks transparency.