The Election Commission on Thursday directed 22 states and Union Territories to expedite preparatory arrangements for the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, stating that the nationwide exercise is expected to begin in April. The poll body emphasised that once the ongoing phases are completed, the revision process will eventually cover all states and Union Territories across the country.
In an official communication sent to the chief electoral officers of Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Chandigarh, Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Ladakh, Maharashtra, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Delhi, Odisha, Punjab, Sikkim, Tripura, Telangana and Uttarakhand, the Commission noted that a pan-India Special Intensive Revision of voter lists had been approved in June last year. The letter instructed officials to ensure that all groundwork necessary for the exercise is completed at the earliest so that implementation can proceed smoothly once the process formally begins.
The Commission further stated that the SIR exercise has already been completed in Bihar, while the revision process is currently underway in nine states and three Union Territories as part of the phased rollout. These ongoing efforts are aimed at updating and verifying electoral rolls to ensure accuracy and transparency ahead of future elections.
Assam, however, followed a different approach. Instead of conducting the Special Intensive Revision, the state carried out a separate “special revision” of its electoral rolls, which was completed on February 10. The Election Commission indicated that despite variations in implementation timelines, the broader objective remains to bring all regions under a comprehensive and updated electoral roll verification framework.
