The Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls
LeadPrelims and MainsJune 2026
Why in news
The Election Commission's Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls was in its third phase in June 2026, covering 16 States and three Union Territories and about 36.7 crore electors. The Supreme Court had upheld the exercise on 27 May 2026, with conditions.
Background
- An electoral roll is the list of persons entitled to vote in a constituency. It is normally updated every year by a summary revision, which adds and removes names from the existing list.
- An intensive revision prepares the roll afresh, through house to house enumeration by Booth Level Officers.
- The power comes from Article 324, which vests the superintendence of elections in the Election Commission, and from Section 21(3) of the Representation of the People Act, 1950.
- Article 326 gives the vote to every citizen of 18 years or more who is not otherwise disqualified.
- The exercise began with Bihar in 2025, went to a second group of States, and reached its third phase in May 2026.
What the Supreme Court held
- The Commission may check whether a person is eligible to be on the roll.
- It does not decide citizenship; that is done under the Citizenship Act, 1955.
- Aadhaar and the voter identity card prove identity, not citizenship.
- The exercise is valid only with notice, a hearing and a right of appeal before a name is removed.
Why it is contested
- Scale of deletions: a Home Ministry committee on demographic change was reported as likely to study about 6.5 crore names deleted in earlier phases.
- The burden on the voter: a person asked to prove eligibility must produce documents that the poor, migrants and married women who have moved often lack.
- Citizenship by the back door: critics say a check of eligibility becomes, in practice, a test of citizenship by an authority not meant to decide it.
- The case for it: rolls carry the dead, the shifted and duplicates, and a clean roll is a condition of a free and fair election.
Aadhaar and the roll
- A petition heard in June 2026 said Aadhaar is being misused as proof of citizenship and residence.
- Section 9 of the Aadhaar Act, 2016 says an Aadhaar number is not proof of citizenship or domicile.
Cases to cite
- Association for Democratic Reforms v. Election Commission of India (2026): upheld the revision, subject to notice, hearing and appeal.
- Lal Babu Hussein v. Electoral Registration Officer (1995): a person already on the roll cannot be asked to prove citizenship afresh without material against him.
- Mohinder Singh Gill v. Chief Election Commissioner (1978): Article 324 is a reservoir of power, but it operates where the law is silent and must be exercised fairly.
The way forward
- Publish the reasons for each deletion, by category, so that the exercise can be audited.
- Accept a wide list of documents, and place the duty of verification on the State and not on the voter.
- Decide appeals before an election is held on the revised roll.
- Keep the roll separate from welfare and citizenship records, as the Court has said.
Prelims facts
- Electoral rolls are prepared under the Representation of the People Act, 1950; the conduct of elections is under the Act of 1951.
- Article 324: superintendence, direction and control of elections. Article 326: adult suffrage.
- Form 6 is the application for inclusion of a name.
- Aadhaar is not proof of citizenship (Section 9, Aadhaar Act).
Sources: The Hindu, 27 May 2026: Supreme Court upholds SIR exercise as an advancement towards free and fair elections (opens in a new tab) · The Hindu, 2 Jun 2026: Demography panel may study SIR exclusions; seeks details from government (opens in a new tab) · The Hindu, 16 Jun 2026: Supreme Court seeks Centre, States' response on plea over 'misuse' of Aadhaar (opens in a new tab) · The Hindu, 30 Jun 2026: Delhi SIR begins today (opens in a new tab) · Election Commission of India, 16 Jun 2026: Press Note No. 86 of 2026 (opens in a new tab)
Earlier coverage: Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls · The monthly magazine, June 2026