Saturday, March 29, 2025
Karnataka and Delhi Prepare for Special Intensive Revision of Voter Lists (SIR); Documents Required for Verification Outlined
After Bihar, Karnataka is set to launch the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, with preparations now nearly complete at the state level. The process will begin once the Election Commission of India (ECI) formally issues instructions. Officials expect the nationwide rollout of SIR by the end of 2025.
According to a report in the Times of India, Karnataka’s Chief Electoral Officer V. Ambukumar confirmed that groundwork for the SIR process is finished. The revision will be based on the 2002 voters’ list, and individuals added to the rolls after that year will be required to provide additional documents for verification.
The ECI has outlined requirements based on age groups:
Born before 1987: Must submit any one of 12 approved documents, with Aadhaar card accepted as the sole identity proof.
Born between 1987 and 2004: Must submit two documents — one showing their date of birth and another with their parents’ details.
If one parent is a foreign national: Passport and visa details will also be required.
The Delhi Election Commission has started its own groundwork for SIR. Officials have clarified that those not listed in the 2002 electoral roll will now need to present identity documents to confirm eligibility.
The Chief Electoral Officer’s office in Delhi has appointed Booth Level Officers (BLOs) in all constituencies. District Election Officers, Electoral Registration Officers, Assistant Electoral Registration Officers, and BLOs have already undergone training for the process. Citizens are being encouraged to cross-check their and their parents’ names against the 2002 voters’ list to ensure accuracy.
The last major SIR exercise, conducted in Bihar in 2003, triggered significant political controversy. Opposition parties accused the process of being designed to disenfranchise voters, while the Election Commission insisted that the revision’s objective was to ensure all eligible citizens are included and ineligible names are removed from the rolls.
With SIR expected to roll out in multiple states, including Karnataka and Delhi, the exercise is likely to face close scrutiny and political debate in the coming months.
