CEC Gyanesh Kumar says Special Intensive Revision in Bihar is
Speaking at a training session for Booth Level Officers (BLOs), Gyanesh Kumar said, 'The implementation of Special Intensive Revision (SIR) in Bihar is running as per schedule with the active participation of all election staff and all political parties in a transparent manner. Despite apprehensions of some persons, SIR will ensure that all eligible persons will be included.'
The Special Intensive Revision is a focused voter list update exercise conducted by the Election Commission of India (ECI) to ensure electoral rolls are accurate ahead of upcoming elections.
Opposition parties, including the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), have expressed concern that the SIR process may be misused to disenfranchise voters, particularly the poor and marginalised communities.
In response, the ECI stated that the exercise is being conducted strictly in line with the provisions of Article 326 of the Constitution and the Representation of the People Act, 1950. It said the aim is to remove ineligible entries while ensuring that no eligible voter is left out.
'Commission stated that SIR is being conducted in accordance with provisions of Article 326, RP Act 1950 & instructions issued on 24.06.2025. Party representatives raised concerns related to SIR. Each concern which was raised by any member of PP was fully addressed by the Commission,' the ECI said in an official post.
The Commission also clarified that while some party representatives had prior appointments, others were allowed to join the meeting without one.
'Some of the participants were given an appointment and others were allowed to join in without any prior appointment as Commission decided to meet two representatives from every party so as to listen to all views,' the statement said.
The ECI assured that the SIR would be conducted transparently and fairly, with measures in place to assist vulnerable groups, such as senior citizens, persons with disabilities, and the economically vulnerable.
A group of 18 leaders from 11 political parties met with the Election Commissioners regarding the upcoming Bihar elections. The exercise has faced heavy criticism from the opposition.
The SIR involves house-to-house verification, online submission of forms, and assistance from Booth Level Officers (BLOs) and volunteers. (ANI)
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hindustan Times
17 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
Five years of India-Australia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership
In 2009, India and Australia signed a strategic partnership to strengthen political and security relations, but few could have predicted the meteoric rise of the relationship to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (CSP). A significant shift occurred in the June 2020 virtual summit between Prime Minister (PM), Narendra Modi and the then-Australian PM Scott Morrison, where the two agreed to elevate the strategic pPartnership to a CSP, building on a decade-old bilateral strategic engagement. With $ 50 billion in two-way trade, Australian universities opening campuses in India, and a million-strong Indian diaspora strengthening people-to-people ties, the tripling of direct flights between India and Australia since 2022, and a leader-level annual summit since 2023, bilateral ties have grown significantly. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Australian deputy prime minister Richard Marles met in Delhi on Wednesday. ani (ANI) As the two countries chart an ambitious future—from defence cooperation to increased security ties—the question remains: How has the bilateral partnership evolved since the establishment of the CSP? To what extent has it deepened and matured, and what further steps can be taken to strengthen it? To mark the 5th anniversary of this significant partnership, Australian deputy PM Richard Marles arrived in Delhi to meet the Indian PM on June 4, 2025, on his first overseas visit since taking office this year—reflecting Canberra's importance to New Delhi and highlighting the growing strategic alignment between the two. Both countries clearly recognise the relevance of peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific, and hence, reaffirm the principles of a free, open, inclusive and rules-based region. This necessitates expanding areas of cooperation in areas like improving maritime security, strengthening diplomatic ties, and deepening defence and military cooperation—in sync with growing challenges in the Indo-Pacific region. The seriousness of the partnership from both sides is amplified by the high-level bilateral exchanges that have been institutionalised, with India now holding annual leader-level summits beginning in 2023, followed by the second dialogue in 2024, along with the 2+2 Foreign and Defence Ministerial Dialogue in 2021 and 2023—upgraded from the continuing 2+2 secretary-level dialogue in June 2020. Australia is perhaps the third country, in addition to Japan and Russia, with which India has institutionalised such regular high-level structured dialogues, indicating a strategic premium that New Delhi places on its partnership with Canberra. Notably, the quantity and quality of bilateral dialogues have increased: the Foreign Minister's Framework Dialogue, a bilateral stock-taking mechanism; the 2+2 Foreign and Defence Secretary-level consultations, a precursor 'inter-sessional' activity prior to the 2+2 ministerial dialogue; Defence Policy talks; and the Maritime Security Dialogue have respectively concluded their 14th, 4th, 9th, and 6th editions. This is undoubtedly an elevation from just discussing their fondness for cricket to promoting and expanding inter-bureaucratic linkages, offering mechanisms to exchange views and buttressing a common strategic framework for the Indo-Pacific region—an area that has drawn the attention of major global powers in recent years. Military and defence ties are also transforming, exhibiting historic first trends and increasing complexity in military exercises, interoperability, and entanglements. Military-related activities, including joint exercises, meetings among defence officials and service staff, port calls, and the military officials' participation in events and conferences, have seen a noticeable rise, increasing from 38 in 2018 to 53 by 2023 and counting. In 2023, Australia's inaugural hosting of the Malabar exercise—a quadrilateral naval exercise involving the US, Japan, Australia, and India—demonstrated the aggregation of anti-submarine activities, air defence and gunnery exercises, and the integration of communication operations along with replenishment practices. In its 2023 edition of the Indo-Pacific Endeavour—a regionally-tailored multilateral defence exercise—an Indian Navy maritime patrol aircraft, P-8I Neptune, and Australia's P-8A Poseidon aircraft engaged in a joint maritime interoperability training session. In the same year, India's INS VAGIR, made a port call to Perth—the farthest docking of an Indian submarine so far. Furthermore, the Indian Navy travelled to Australia's Cocos Keeling Islands in the Indian Ocean region, which the Australian department of defence depicted as 'a groundbreaking visit.' Bilaterally, AUSINDEX—a biennial maritime exercise—concluded its 5th edition in 2023 on complex maritime operations involving aircraft and maritime patrolling jets. Also, AUSTRAHIND, a joint Indian and Australian army exercise, carried out sub-conventional operations curated to manage contingencies in arid conditions and a semi-urban landscape in its recent edition. In addition, India participated as an observer in TALISMAN SABRE, a multilateral exercise, in 2023 (for the second time), and in KAKADU, a multinational exercise, in 2022. In a way, bilateral military entanglements aid participation in multilateral exercises by enhancing operational familiarity between military hardware and embracing joint practices. India's inaugural participation in PITCH BLACK—a multinational air defence exercise—in 2018 recorded the first case of 'mid-air refuelling' between India's Su-30MKI and a RAAF aircraft (KC-30A), paving the way for a bilateral air-to-air refuelling agreement in November 2024. Such an arrangement will enhance the operational capacity of the Indian Navy's P-8I Neptune surveillance aircraft in the Indo-Pacific region. As a result, the rapid transformation in naval exchanges and defence entanglements was essentially facilitated through the signing of the Mutual Logistics Support Arrangement in June 2020, which mandated complex military engagement and logistical cooperation to enhance military cooperation between the countries. More specifically, in 2021, the Australian government dispatched its inaugural liaison officer to the India Fusion Centre-Indian Ocean Region, maintained by the Indian Navy, to enable maritime situational awareness with the intent to secure sea lanes of communication. Defence science and industry collaboration has made initial strides, with the participation of Indian defence industry partners in the 2024 Indian Ocean Security and Defence Conference to boost defence industry and start-up collaboration. Previously, Thales Australia exported mine-sweeping systems to India, and a similar potential for defence trade remains between both countries. To begin with, military exercises could extend beyond individual service levels and be jointly pursued—similar to India's Tiger Triumph exercise with the United States. Furthermore, these exercises can be designed to emulate Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) scenarios and simulate military contingencies. Also, Australia does not have a National Security Council or National Security Advisor (NSA), making an NSA-level mechanism inconceivable—yet having one would help Australia better coordinate and engage in the growing number of global NSA-level dialogues. The recommendation for such a mechanism was officially raised in the 2009 Security Cooperation arrangement between India and Australia. India already has dedicated NSA-level working mechanisms with countries like the US, Russia, and Japan. India even has one with China under special representative-level talks. Such dedicated institutional mechanisms help India in continuing dialogue on mutual security issues with Australia. Other potential areas for collaboration can include surveillance and reconnaissance, marine warfare, and armed unmanned aerial vehicles, mainly spearheaded by small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and tech start-ups that can offer innovative solutions. The INDUS-X bilateral defence technology partnership between India and the U.S. provides a structured template for exploring potential bilateral collaboration. Finally, convergences in Quad have become more pertinent. Throughout the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020-2021, Australia and India worked together in Quad to deliver 400 million vaccines, and this proven collaboration offers significant policy scope to coordinate activities at minilateral and multilateral setups in the medical and humanitarian sectors. Given America's inward focus, India and Australia can explore leadership roles in Quad because of their growing strategic interests, regional influence, and shared commitment to a stable and rules-based order. This article is authored by Rishi Gupta, assistant director, and Rahul Jaybhay, research analyst, Asia Society Policy Institute, Delhi.
Time of India
18 minutes ago
- Time of India
‘Great danger to democracy': Mahua Moitra moves SC over EC's voter list revision in Bihar; calls it ‘crazy exercise to disenfranchise'
NEW DELHI: Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra has moved the Supreme Court against the Election Commission of India 's (ECI) move to conduct a special intensive revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar, calling the process a direct threat to democratic rights. In a scathing critique, Moitra accused the poll body of acting at the behest of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party and attempting to disenfranchise millions, particularly migrant and poor voters. "The All India Trinamool Congress under the leadership of Mamata Banerjee has pointed out the great danger to democracy which is the new special intensive revision that the Election Commission has started in Bihar and plans to start in Bengal right after and in other states as well," Moitra said. "I have petitioned the Supreme Court last night on this and it is violative." Moitra argued that the process violates multiple constitutional provisions — Articles 14, 19 and 21 — as well as Articles 3, 325 and 326. 'This special intensive revision is violative… It is also against the Representation of People's Act 1960 and the Registration of Electors Rules,' she said. According to her, the SIR introduces 11 new documents as proof of eligibility — none of which includes commonly used IDs like Aadhaar or ration cards. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 2025 Top Trending local enterprise accounting software [Click Here] Esseps Learn More Undo 'Now apart from your birth certificate, no other document like a matriculation certificate or a PSU card gives you the place of birth,' she said. Moitra warned that the requirement to establish parents' place of birth in some cases both parents would disenfranchise 'two and a half to three crore people in Bihar' and could soon be applied in Bengal as well. 'This is completely against the rights of the poor migrant workers who will have no opportunity in the short time frame to actually have to download forms and upload them again. I mean, this whole thing is a crazy exercise and its only goal is to disenfranchise voters,' she said. Moitra added that the ECI had strayed from its mandate: 'Instead of doing that, the Election Commissioner of India has taken it upon itself to become an arm of the BJP… This is a great shame.' PTI reported that Moitra's petition, filed under Article 32, also seeks to stop the ECI from issuing similar directives in other states. A similar plea has been filed by the Association of Democratic Reforms, warning that the exercise could 'arbitrarily and without due process' remove lakhs of names from the rolls. Defending the revision, Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar said nearly every political party in Bihar had raised concerns about inaccuracies in the voters' list, prompting the EC to act. He stressed that those who were listed in the 2003 roll need not submit any birth-related documents. But for those born after 1987, documents proving a parent's place of birth are required, and for those born after 2004, proof for both parents is necessary. The EC insists that the exercise is intended to weed out ineligible and non-resident voters, including illegal immigrants. The revision, which began on June 24, is scheduled to run until July 25, and is being carried out by over one lakh booth-level officers across Bihar.
Time of India
19 minutes ago
- Time of India
Kharge slams BJP over Bihar electoral roll revision, alleges voter suppression
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge accused the BJP on Sunday of conspiring to deprive the people of Bihar of their voter rights through the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and said the voters of the state would teach the saffron party a lesson for its attack on democracy and the Constitution. He cited a new advertisement issued by the Election Commission (EC), urging the voters of Bihar to only fill a form under the SIR, and alleged that "when people rise, BJP backtracks". "With the support of the Election Commission, the master plan that the BJP had devised to deprive crores of people in Bihar of their voting rights now seems to be ensnaring the BJP itself," Kharge alleged in a post in Hindi on X. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like The Best Method for a Flat Stomach After 50 (It's Genius!) Lulutox Undo He said from the very first day, the Congress has been raising its voice against the SIR. "Why are people who have been voting election after election being asked to show their documents for voting? Live Events "Forcibly depriving the poor, weak, deprived, Dalits, oppressed and backward people of their voting rights is the conspiracy of the BJP-RSS," he alleged. The Congress chief claimed that nearly eight crore people will suffer because of the SIR. "The responsibility to correct the voter list lies with the EC, not the public. "When the pressure from the opposition, the public and civil society increased, the Election Commission hurriedly published these advertisements today, which state that now only a form needs to be filled and showing documents is not necessary," he claimed. "This is part of the BJP's tactic to mislead and confuse the public. The truth is that the BJP has decided it will crush democracy at all costs. But when faced with public opposition, it cleverly takes a step back," the leader of opposition in the Rajya Sabha alleged. Noting that Bihar is the birthplace of democracy, Kharge said the people of the state will surely respond to the Bharatiya Janata Party 's (BJP) attack on democracy and the Constitution in the upcoming Assembly election.
