SIR of electoral rolls reaches Delhi, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Jharkhand, Meghalaya in Phase-III

📌 Summary:

• On June 30, the Election Commission of India (ECI) began the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Karnataka, Meghalaya, Maharashtra, Jharkhand and Delhi (Phase-III window: June 30-July 29)
• SIR is a nationwide exercise to improve roll accuracy via house-to-house enumeration, pre-filled forms and cross-checking; aims to remove deceased, shifted, duplicate and non-citizen entries while adding eligible missing voters
• Announced Oct 27, 2025 by CEC Gyanesh Kumar; rolled out in phases; aligned with ECI's constitutional mandate for free and fair elections
• In May 2026 the Supreme Court upheld SIR's validity, finding it consistent with the Representation of the People Act
• Booth Level Officers (BLOs), assisted by party-appointed Booth Level Agents (BLAs), must make at least three household visits; forms can be filed online (voters.eci.gov.in / Voter Helpline app) or offline
• Phase-III also covers Odisha, Mizoram, Sikkim, Manipur, DNH & DD, Uttarakhand, AP, Arunachal, Haryana, Chandigarh, Telangana, Punjab; Nagaland (Aug 16) and Tripura (Sep 15) follow

🎯 UPSC Relevance: GS2 Polity — electoral roll integrity, ECI powers, RPA, and citizen documentation debates.

📝 Prelims Facts:

• SIR conducted under the Representation of the People Act; upheld by the Supreme Court (May 2026)
• Chief Election Commissioner: Gyanesh Kumar
• BLO verifies; BLAs appointed by political parties

🔑 Key Term: Special Intensive Revision (SIR) — an intensive, field-verified overhaul of electoral rolls beyond routine annual summary revision.