What Happened
- The Election Commission of India (ECI) published final electoral rolls for 12 states and Union Territories after completing Phase 2 of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR), resulting in a net reduction of over 6 crore voters.
- Approximately 5.2 crore names were deleted (a 10% purification rate) while over 2 crore new voters were added in Phase 2 states and UTs.
- The combined voter count in these 12 states/UTs stood at around 51 crore before SIR; the revised list now shows approximately 44.92–45.8 crore electors.
- Uttar Pradesh saw the highest absolute deletion with over 2.04 crore voters removed and 84 lakh new voters added; Andaman & Nicobar Islands reported among the highest purification percentages.
- The remaining approximately 40 crore electors across 17 states and 5 UTs are expected to be covered in a subsequent SIR phase following the ongoing assembly elections.
Static Topic Bridges
Special Intensive Revision (SIR) — Legal Framework under the Representation of the People Act, 1950
The Representation of the People Act, 1950 empowers the Election Commission of India to prepare, maintain, and revise electoral rolls. Section 21 of the RPA, 1950 grants the ECI broad authority to conduct revisions — ordinary (annual) or special — at any time for recorded reasons. Section 22 specifically enables intensive revision of electoral rolls where the Commission undertakes a comprehensive door-to-door exercise to verify eligibility, detect duplicates, record deaths, identify migrants, and remove foreign nationals or ineligible persons. Section 23 of the RPA, 1950 permits additions and corrections even after the final publication of rolls, up until the last date for filing nominations in an election.
- Section 21, RPA 1950 — ECI power to revise electoral rolls, including special revision with recorded reasons
- Section 22, RPA 1950 — Intensive revision: door-to-door enumeration, removal of ineligible names (deaths, migration, duplicates, non-citizens)
- Section 23, RPA 1950 — Additions and corrections permitted until nomination deadline
- Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) scrutinise entries; deletions must state grounds
- Courts have directed ECI to publish deletion lists with reasons at booth/district level and in searchable online format
Connection to this news: The Phase 2 SIR in 12 states/UTs was conducted under these provisions, with EROs applying Section 22 grounds (deaths, migration, foreign nationals, duplicates) to delete 5.2 crore names while simultaneously processing 2 crore new voter inclusions.
Electoral Roll Integrity and Voter EPIC System
The ECI prepares separate electoral rolls for each constituency; these are the foundation documents for democracy. The Elector Photo Identity Card (EPIC) system introduced in 1993 is the primary identity tool, though Aadhaar has been accepted as an additional document for identity and residence verification during the SIR process (as directed by courts). The ECI uses a model of Booth Level Officers (BLOs) — typically government servants — to carry out door-to-door enumeration during intensive revisions.
- Electoral roll = consolidated list of all eligible voters in a constituency; maintained constituency-wise
- EPIC (Elector Photo Identity Card) — introduced 1993 as primary voter identification
- Booth Level Officers (BLOs) conduct ground-level enumeration under EROs
- Aadhaar accepted as identity/residence document in SIR per court directions (2025-26)
- SIR 2025-26 was announced on 27 October 2025 by Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar
Connection to this news: The Phase 2 SIR mobilised BLOs across 12 states for door-to-door verification, deploying EPIC and Aadhaar-based authentication to authenticate or flag voters for adjudication.
Supreme Court Oversight of ECI's SIR Process
The SIR exercise has been subject to judicial scrutiny. The Supreme Court, in a case filed by the Association for Democratic Reforms challenging the ECI's revision of electoral rolls in Bihar, directed the ECI to publish — at the booth and district levels — the names of voters removed from draft rolls along with reasons for deletion, and to make this information searchable online. Courts have held that the Speaker (for anti-defection matters) and Election Commission decisions are subject to judicial review, reinforcing accountability in electoral processes.
- Association for Democratic Reforms v. Election Commission of India — challenge to SIR in Bihar
- Court directed: (i) publish deletion lists with reasons, (ii) make lists searchable online at booth/district level
- Court recognised Aadhaar as acceptable evidence of identity and residence in SIR proceedings
- Judicial review of ECI quasi-judicial decisions is available; decisions are not immune from court scrutiny
Connection to this news: The publication of granular Phase 2 roll data — including deletion counts by state — reflects ECI's compliance with judicial directions for transparency in the SIR exercise.
Key Facts & Data
- Phase 2 states/UTs: Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Kerala, Puducherry, Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Lakshadweep, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Goa
- Net deletions in Phase 2: approximately 6.08 crore (over 5.2 crore net after adding ~2 crore new registrations)
- UP: 2.04 crore deleted, 84 lakh added; final electorate 13.39 crore
- Combined pre-SIR rolls: ~51 crore; post-SIR: ~44.92 crore for Phase 2 states/UTs
- SIR 2025-26 announced: 27 October 2025
- Remaining ~40 crore voters (17 states, 5 UTs) to be covered in subsequent SIR phases
- Deletion grounds: deaths, migration, duplicates, non-citizens, ineligible persons