SIR may be dead without an announcement
The Election Commission of India appears to have effectively abandoned the controversial Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls following public protests and legal challenges. While no formal withdrawal has been announced, recent administrative decisions have rendered the policy redundant.
Why it matters
The policy shift highlights the power of public mobilization and judicial oversight in influencing state electoral processes and protecting citizen documentation rights.
SIR may be dead without an announcement Political line left https://th-i.thgim.com/public/incoming/e5txkz/article71593672.ece/alternates/FREE_1200/image%204.jpg (This is the latest edition of the Political Line newsletter curated by Varghese K. George. The Political Line newsletter is India’s political landscape explained every week. You can subscribe here to get the newsletter in your inbox every Friday.) While the protests demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar is petering out, there is no sign of him actually resigning. Does it mean that the mobilisation against the special intensive revision (SIR) of electoral rolls has failed? Does it mean that the Election Commission of India (ECI) and the BJP-led Central government have escaped this round of popular protests unscathed? The clear indication is that like in the case of the NEET agitation that led to the resignation of Dharmendra Pradhan, popular mobilisation has led to a significant reversal of the state policy.
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