Another chance On Bihar SIR - Beyond Borders By Prajila
The Hindu editorial on 02/09/2025 welcomes the Supreme Court's order on Bihar’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) and the ECI’s clarification that applications will be accepted until the last day of nomination as a crucial move to ensure another chance for excluded voters at a time when the ECI’s credibility itself is under question. It provides an opportunity to redress complaints using Aadhaar, but also generates a serious concern of data mix-up since both new and excluded voters must use Form 6 for enrollment, despite the vast difference in their categories.

While 15 lakh new voters have registered, only around 33,000 of the nearly 65 lakh excluded voters have applied for re-inclusion. This discrepancy could trigger a blame game, with the ECI accusing political parties of failing to assist excluded voters, and parties, in turn, alleging non-cooperation by Booth Level Officers (BLOs) in the process.

Anticipating these challenges and taking into account data-driven reports and ground findings on anomalies in the draft roll, the Court has rightly directed para-legal volunteers to assist voters and parties. It is now the responsibility of political parties to help excluded voters regardless of narrow motives, and for the ECI to accept Aadhaar as sufficient proof of residence and identity.

The editorial concludes that the ECI must prioritize voter rights over administrative convenience, avoiding rushed and intensive technical processes in short timelines — a lesson underscored by the Bihar SIR exercise.