Election Commission likely to announce next phase of SIR within days

📌 Summary:

• ECI is preparing to roll out the next phase of Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in the remaining states and UTs within days

• Phase 1 was held in Bihar (2024); Phase 2 covered 9 states and 3 UTs (Nov 2025–April 2026)

• Assam is excluded — ECI will instead conduct a regular Summary Revision there, citing the pending publication of the National Register of Citizens (NRC)

• ECI wrote to Chief Electoral Officers of 22 states/UTs in February asking them to complete preparations for SIR

• Enumeration form will be similar to Phase 2 (revised after Bihar Phase 1 controversies); enumeration could be conducted in phases

• West Bengal SIR (Phase 2) led to ~91 lakh deletions of which ~27 lakh are contested; matter is currently sub judice in the Supreme Court

🎯 UPSC Relevance: GS2 Polity (Election Commission, Article 324, electoral rolls integrity, RPA 1950); concerns over use of SIR as a back-door citizenship-determination process.

📝 Prelims Facts:

• ECI is a constitutional body under Article 324 of the Constitution
• Special Intensive Revision (SIR) — door-to-door fresh enumeration of all eligible voters; distinct from routine Summary Revision
• Article 326 mandates universal adult franchise; voter eligibility governed by RPA, 1950
• Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) heads election machinery at the state level
• NRC (National Register of Citizens) — updated under Citizenship Act, 1955 and Citizenship Rules, 2003; published only in Assam so far

🔑 Key Term: Special Intensive Revision (SIR) — An exceptional, in-depth revision of electoral rolls conducted by the ECI involving fresh, in-person enumeration of all eligible voters, in contrast to the routine annual Summary Revision.