Questions on Accuracy in SIR

The Reporters’ Collective has also raised doubts about the Accuracy in SIR and voter lists in Bihar even after completion of Special Intensive Revision (SIR). Afterwards, they have reported that their computer-based data analysis has detected a wide spectrum of lacuna, as follows.

• Dubious or fake addresses
• A large number of Voters belonging to different families, castes, and communities in the same Address
• Voters holding two or more voter IDs
• A large number of dead voters in the voter lists

Moreover, such allegations clearly point fingers to the efficacy of Election Commission and the effectiveness of Special Intensive Revision (SIR) in it’s true sense. Therefore, if the process fails to deliver the Accuracy in SIR, after such glittering campaigns and huge expense of the public money, people will invariably question the intent.

The Special Intensive Revision (SIR) has already raised acrimonious debate through out the country. On top of it, if we fail to rectify such faults of our system, it will surely raise questions regarding its credibility. Moreover, The number of petitions filed against the SIR in Bihar has shown the gravity of the situation. This is also true that the scheduled timeframe had come under the lenses of the stakeholders. There had been several observations also. As the Election Committee also enjoys a huge freedom as per the Indian constitution, the judges had been in crux. Nevertheless, the Supreme Court primarily focused in the transparency and Accuracy in SIR.

Why Accuracy in SIR should be in doubt?

Let’s delve into the core of the issue.  We must understand that the government already possesses almost every vital detail about the citizens. The Government has already recorded each individual’s Aadhaar database. In fact, lets ask, What is there in Aadhar database?   It contains biometric identifiers such as fingerprints and iris scans, the data that defines identity beyond dispute. It is also mandatorily to link Aadhaar to essential services like PAN cards, bank accounts, and ration cards. In short, virtually every aspect of a citizen’s personal information rests within the government’s custody. Additionally, Even the registration of births and deaths has been compulsory for quite a long time.  Consequently, Where is the scope of informational gaps?.

In that case, all the inputs necessary for preparing an authentic voter list are already available with the government. It may be either in centralized repositories or distributed databases. Hence, instead of conducting redundant manual verifications, the real task lies in integrating these existing systems more effectively. Only a smart and intelligent coordination can  ensure accuracy, transparency, and public trust in the electoral process.

1. Why should Special Intensive Revision (SIR) should pop up in such a hyped manner?
2. Why do we require enumeration forms at all?
3. What is the justification for requiring an individual to declare their citizenship?

This shows a serious pitfall in our system.

How can any individual stay in India has without being a citizen or a foreigner with valid passport?  Why does the issue of illegal immigration even arise?  How can a non-citizen obtain mandatory documents like Aadhar, Voter, or Ration cards? Where are the lacunas? Booth Level Officers require to perform just physical checks by tick marking their lists. Why is the established system not working as expected?

Cards after Cards

T. N. Seshan introduced Voter ID Card (officially the Elector’s Photo Identity Card (EPIC)) in 1993, it seemed to support multiple functionalities. The Voter Card was supposed to  serve  as general identity, address, and age proof for other purposes. Ironically, we have noticed two individuals with the same EPIC numbers and one individual with multiple EPIC numbers.

Introduced in 2009, the Aadhar system was promoted as a unique and foolproof method for verifying an individual’s identity and address. Even after these guarantees of security, organized agencies have begun illicit operations for preparing fraudulent Aadhar, Voter, and Ration cards.

The continuous introduction of mandatory identity documents places an ongoing administrative and logistical burden on the public. Now, the question becomes most pertinent: what systemic failure permits this proliferation of fraudulent identification?

AI for Special Intensive Revision (SIR)

We do feel that the exclusion process should be automatic based on data analysis in the computer-based system. We have stepped into the age of Artificial Intelligence. It can sift through vast amount of data to provide us with accurate answers. Even then, why are we still using the outdated methods for the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voter lists?

Let’s finally turn to the Election Commission. More extensive awareness and promotion were required before launching such a major initiative like Special Intensive Revision (SIR) . The commoners along with the Booth Development Officers are still confused. A greater-outreach is still required for the smooth completion is such a large-scale project.