From Bihar to Bengal: How SIR is reshaping voter rolls; a deep dive into how it works

NEW DELHI: Across India, from big metros to small towns and remote settlements, a quiet but significant exercise is under way to refresh the country’s voter rolls. The Special Intensive Revision, or SIR, has Booth Level Officers visiting homes with updated lists, seeking confirmations and corrections as they work through one of the world’s largest electoral databases. What began as routine verification has unexpectedly drawn intense national attention, sparking debate and renewed curiosity about how India’s most fundamental democratic document is kept accurate. As the Election Commission races to update the rolls ahead of crucial elections, political parties are sounding the alarm. They argue that SIR, instead of merely removing duplication, could alter electoral equations by disprop