Daijiworld Media Network – New Delhi

New Delhi, Jul 13: The Election Commission (EC) has made it mandatory for new applicants seeking inclusion in the electoral rolls to furnish details of their parents' Special Intensive Revision (SIR) while applying for voter registration, according to Election Commission officials.

Officials said the requirement applies not only to existing voters who were not covered under the previous SIR exercise but also to first-time voters submitting Form 6 for enrolment in the electoral rolls.

The declaration relating to parents' SIR details was introduced during the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls carried out in Bihar in June last year. Since then, new applicants have been required to submit the declaration along with Form 6.

An Election Commission functionary said daily SIR bulletins issued during the Bihar exercise showed that Form 6 was being submitted together with the mandatory declaration.

The official clarified that the declaration had been introduced through administrative instructions and that Form 6 itself had not been amended.

According to the Commission, the declaration helps map electors more accurately and reduces the number of supporting documents new voters are required to submit with their applications.

Officials also said applicants completing Form 6 through the online portal cannot proceed with the registration process unless the declaration is filled in.

Meanwhile, the Election Commission has defended the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls, rejecting concerns raised by United Nations Special Rapporteurs and maintaining that the exercise is transparent, constitutional and supported by Supreme Court observations.

Election Commission officials said the objective of the SIR is to ensure that all eligible Indian citizens are included in the electoral rolls while removing duplicate, deceased, shifted, absent and foreign voters.

Responding to allegations of large-scale deletion of minority voters, including claims relating to Nandigram in West Bengal, the Commission said affected voters had been provided adequate opportunities to challenge exclusions and denied any bias in the revision process.

The clarification comes after UN Special Rapporteurs recently wrote to the Government of India expressing concerns that the Special Intensive Revision lacked sufficient transparency.