Election Commission of India to Launch Nationwide Special Intensive Revision of Electoral Rolls in Phases

In the first phase, the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) will be implemented in approximately 10 states across India.

New Delhi:

The Election Commission of India (ECI) is set to implement a nationwide Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in multiple phases. According to sources within the ECI, the schedule for the first phase of this nationwide initiative is expected to be announced this month. The comprehensive process is scheduled to commence in November, with November 1 established as the cut-off date for the SIR.

Sources indicate that following the two-day Conference of Chief Electoral Officers (CEOs) focusing on nationwide SIR preparedness, Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and Election Commissioners Dr. Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Dr. Vivek Joshi will finalize and likely announce the schedule on Monday.

The conference began today at the India International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Management (IIIDEM) in New Delhi, with participation from CEOs representing all states and Union Territories. The Commission instructed officials to complete their preparations for the upcoming SIR and evaluated progress on previous directives regarding the matching of current electors with those from prior revisions.

An ECI official revealed, "The SIR process in Bihar required nearly four months, spanning from June 24 to September 30. However, the Commission now aims to reduce this timeframe." To streamline the process, the ECI has directed all states and UTs to initiate pre-matching of previous and current electoral rolls, ensuring the voter verification process becomes more efficient.

Drawing lessons from Bihar's methodology, states and UTs including Delhi, West Bengal, Uttarakhand, and Kerala have already begun mapping electors using their previous SIR data. During the last conference, the Bihar CEO's presentation highlighted this effective mapping approach, which has subsequently been adopted by other states. Many states have already uploaded their latest SIR electoral rolls to their official websites.

The first phase of the SIR will encompass approximately 10 states, including Assam, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, Kerala, and West Bengal. The Commission conducted individual meetings with CEOs from these election-bound regions to assess their readiness levels.

The Conference also examined data from the earlier SIR preparedness meeting held on September 10, 2025, where states shared information regarding their elector counts, qualifying dates, and the status of their most recently completed SIR.

Through this nationwide SIR implementation, the Election Commission aims to ensure more accurate and cleaner voter lists, minimizing errors and duplication before upcoming electoral events.