Phase 3 of SIR in 16 States, three UTs from May 30, says ECI

The Election Commission of India (ECI) announced Phase 3 of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, to be conducted across 16 States and thr...

What Happened

The Election Commission of India (ECI) announced Phase 3 of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, to be conducted across 16 States and three Union Territories starting May 30, 2026.
The exercise will cover over 36.73 crore electors; more than 3.94 lakh Booth Level Officers (BLOs) will carry out house-to-house verification, supported by 3.42 lakh Booth Level Agents (BLAs) appointed by political parties.
The states covered include Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Haryana, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Odisha, Punjab, Sikkim, Tripura, Telangana, and Uttarakhand; the UTs covered are Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu, Chandigarh, and the National Capital Territory of Delhi.
Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, and Ladakh are excluded from this phase due to Census Phase-II completion timelines and weather conditions; their SIR schedule will be announced separately.
The preparation, training, and printing phase runs from May 20 to May 29, followed by house-to-house visits from May 30 to June 28, 2026.

Static Topic Bridges

Election Commission's Constitutional Power Over Electoral Rolls

Article 324 of the Constitution vests the superintendence, direction, and control of the preparation of electoral rolls for elections to Parliament and State Legislatures in the Election Commission of India. Article 326 guarantees that every citizen who is not less than 18 years of age and is not otherwise disqualified shall be entitled to be registered as a voter.

The Representation of the People Act, 1950 (RPA 1950) provides the statutory framework for the preparation and maintenance of electoral rolls.
Section 21 of RPA 1950 empowers the ECI to order revision of electoral rolls at any time before election.
The Registration of Electors Rules, 1960, prescribes the procedures for summary revision and intensive revision.
ECI is a constitutional body under Article 324 and exercises plenary powers over electoral rolls — its decisions are not ordinarily subject to legislative override.

Connection to this news: The SIR Phase 3 exercise is an exercise of the ECI's Article 324 powers to ensure the accuracy of electoral rolls ahead of upcoming elections in several covered states. The scale — 36 crore electors across 19 jurisdictions — reflects the ECI's nationwide mandate.

Types of Electoral Roll Revision: Summary, Intensive, and Special Intensive

Electoral roll revision in India follows a defined typology under the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960 and ECI practice.

Summary Revision: A periodic exercise (usually annual) that updates existing rolls without fresh house-to-house enumeration. Claims and objections are invited from the public.
Intensive Revision: A comprehensive exercise involving door-to-door enumeration to prepare entirely fresh rolls, independent of existing ones. Historically used to create rolls from scratch.
Special Intensive Revision (SIR): A hybrid model introduced by the ECI in 2002. Enumerators use existing rolls as a base but conduct house-to-house visits to verify, correct, and supplement entries. Unlike a full intensive revision, it does not start from a blank slate; unlike a summary revision, it does not rely solely on individual claims.
Booth Level Officers (BLOs) — typically government servants — are the frontline officials for SIR enumeration.
Booth Level Agents (BLAs) are political party representatives who assist and observe the enumeration process.

Connection to this news: Phase 3 of the SIR is the continuation of a multi-phase national exercise by the ECI to refresh and authenticate the electoral rolls. The use of BLOs and BLAs reflects the commission's dual emphasis on administrative accuracy and partisan transparency.

Electoral Roll Integrity and the Voter's Fundamental Right

The right to vote, while not explicitly listed as a fundamental right in Part III of the Constitution, has been interpreted by the Supreme Court as a constitutional right integral to representative democracy. Inclusion in the electoral roll is a prerequisite for exercising this right.

In PUCL v. Union of India (2003), the Supreme Court held that the right to vote is a "statutory right" under RPA 1950, but also a constitutional right of great significance.
Deletion of a valid voter's name from the roll without due process violates Article 21 (right to life interpreted broadly to include participation in democratic governance).
Article 326 fixes the qualifying age at 18 years (reduced from 21 by the 61st Constitutional Amendment, 1988).
The qualifying date for voter registration is currently January 1 of the year of revision — with the 2023 amendment to RPA 1950 introducing four qualifying dates per year (January 1, April 1, July 1, and October 1) for the first time.

Connection to this news: The SIR directly operationalises Articles 324 and 326 by ensuring every eligible citizen is enrolled and no ineligible person remains on the roll. The controversy around the Bihar SIR in 2025 — where large-scale deletions were alleged — has made the methodology and safeguards of SIR exercises a live UPSC-relevant topic.

Key Facts & Data

Article 324: ECI's constitutional mandate over preparation of electoral rolls.
Article 326: Universal adult franchise; voting age 18 years (lowered from 21 by 61st Amendment, 1988).
Representation of the People Act, 1950 — primary statutory framework for electoral rolls.
Registration of Electors Rules, 1960 — governs revision procedures.
SIR Phase 3 coverage: 16 States + 3 UTs = 19 jurisdictions; 36.73 crore electors.
Timeline: BLO house-to-house visits from May 30 to June 28, 2026.
3.94 lakh BLOs deployed; 3.42 lakh BLAs from political parties.
States excluded (Phase 3): Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, Ladakh.
SIR methodology: House-to-house visits using existing rolls as base — a hybrid between intensive and summary revision.
Four qualifying dates for voter registration introduced by RPA 1950 amendment (2023): January 1, April 1, July 1, October 1.