To SIR, with love across the country

THE sense of security comes from the administrator's confidence in his system and his awareness of its vulnerability. The user's sense, however, depends on his faith in the system and a possible lack of awareness of those vulnerabilities. Sensible managers keep tackling vulnerabilities to boost their self-confidence and deal with users' apprehensions when expressed.

The ECI's latest decision of introducing the e-sign feature for online applications for voter deletion/ addition/ correction should be seen as a step in that direction, no matter how small or delayed.

While the full process will be known once it is publicly notified, it is aimed at introducing another authentication layer before such requests are considered. This is welcome, although cynics would argue that it shouldn't have taken the ECI two years to address a malpractice it took cognisance of by registering an FIR after the ECI's system successfully thwarted malicious attempts at deletion in Aland, Karnataka.

Out of 6,018 online Form 7 deletion applications, 24 were found genuine on verification and accepted, and 5,994 found incorrect and rejected.

Shouldn't the ECI have vigorously pursued its FIR and acted on its own findings without waiting to be accused of complicity? It is true that the ECI depends on the state machinery for investigating crimes and has a poor record in following up such cases. It is time the National Crime Records Bureau brought out separate data on election-related offences for the ECI to carry out a regular effective monitoring.

An electoral roll (ER) of nearly a billion people can never be flawless. The spotlight on some of the flaws was glaring, with analytical presentations pointing out irregularities and discrepancies. The ECI has been aware of some and striven to straighten the rolls continuously, pursuing the deduplication exercise for over two decades by using different software systems with some success.

In February 2025, the CEC had committed to dealing with multiple electors with the same epic number when it was pointed out by the Chief Minister of West Bengal. The vulnerability, now in the news, evidently exposed the system to manipulation.

The integrity of the ER, so vital to the right to vote, has never been questioned as much as in the recent past. The EC proclaims its commitment to maintaining its sanctity by removing those 'ineligible' and including those 'eligible', which is the stated intent of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise in Bihar amid unprecedented din and doubt. That the notification of June 24 announcing that the SIR cannot be the template for the rest of the country is clear from the many changes made by the ECI, either on its own or due to court orders.

What should the ECI do to ensure that its nationwide SIR exercise is viewed with the sympathy and trust it had painstakingly built up until recent controversies?

Before carrying out its intended all-India SIR, the ECI should audit the existing ERs thoroughly to identify deficiencies or discrepancies, some of which were made public by the Leader of Opposition, like 'zero' house numbers, garbled parents' names, disproportionate number staying at one address and duplicate entries.

The ECI could be aware of some more. This would give an idea of the extent of contamination and the need for purification, which can be specifically targeted during the SIR.

At the same time, complaints alleging systemic flaws must be responded to promptly by the ECI. First, by ascertaining that no damage was actually caused and then by assuring the people. Secondly, the ECI must continuously review its systems to identify loopholes and work on plugging them by engaging with complainants and experts.

Unlike in the case of Bihar, future SIRs shouldn't be predicated on ascertaining citizenship, the determination of which is clearly outside ECI's jurisdiction. That can be done as per the existing procedure of objections and inquiry as per the applicable Act.

One of the strengths of the ECI has been its well thought-out procedures and its ability to convert them into standard operating procedures through elaborate documentation and training. The lessons from the Bihar experience, including the directions of the court and feedback of field functionaries, should be incorporated and a draft procedure prepared for future SIRs. The draft should be widely discussed with the political parties and other stakeholders before it is finalised.

This should be followed by an extended outreach, explaining the guidelines to the people through the ECI's robust SVEEP programme. The documents that the electors are expected to submit should be identified on the basis of their easy availability and adequate notice should be given before commencing the exercise in any state. Sufficient time for grievance redress should be provided after the SIR is completed. In no case, should the SIR be done where elections are imminent.

In Bihar, data was downloaded from the ECI's existing database and electors were only to sign prefilled forms, with no instructions for corrections by the electors or the BLO, except through Form 8. That meant the discrepancies of the existing database would pass on to the new draft electoral roll. The SIR cannot achieve its purpose without a door-to-door survey with a proper record of the findings in case electors are found missing from their existing addresses.

The ECI is too vital an institution for the Indian democracy and should not expose itself to any 'bombing'. Even if such attempts can't destroy an institution built by the toil and dedication of its countless employees and field functionaries, and by the commitment and resolute leadership of some ECs, the faith of the people gets eroded by such repeated onslaughts that expose the chinks in the ECI's armour, that once shone so bright that no one looked at them.

Legendary cricket umpire Dickie Bird, who passed away recently, was known for his fiercely neutral umpiring and friendly manners. Known for keeping lots of chewing gums for players, he also kept "a pen knife, a spare rag in case the ball gets wet, a spare cricket ball, a spare bale, scissors, plaster in case someone grazes their arm, needle, cotton", as he told BBC Radio. Dickie's decisions, even if not always right, were accepted by the players because they never doubted his intent or sense of fairness.

Ashok Lavasa is former Election Commissioner of India.