Election Commission of India (ECI) officials have clarified that the notices issued under the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls to several prominent figures—including Nobel laureate Amartya Sen, former navy chief Admiral Arun Prakash (retd), and cricketer Mohammed Shami—were system-generated and triggered automatically due to discrepancies in data provided in the enumeration forms.

The clarification comes amid concerns raised by the public and media over why well-known individuals received notices requiring personal appearance before electoral officials. Senior ECI officials told HT that these notices result from the system flagging logical discrepancies in the linkage of current electoral entries with the legacy roll updated in 2002.

System-Generated Notices Explained

During the SIR process, each elector’s record is linked to the comprehensive 2002 electoral roll. If the system is unable to establish the linkage—either through the elector’s own entry or that of a family member—it categorises the entry as “unmapped” and generates a notice requiring verification with appropriate documents.

A senior ECI official, requesting anonymity, said, “When the system detects a discrepancy, it automatically generates a notice. After issuance, CEO offices facilitate verification for prominent citizens, senior citizens, persons with disabilities, and other vulnerable categories. Booth Level Officers (BLOs) often visit residences to assist electors in resolving discrepancies.”

Notices to Prominent Individuals

In Goa, Admiral Arun Prakash (82) received a notice requesting his presence before election officials. Upon investigation, the ERO of the 27-Cortalim assembly constituency explained that Prakash’s enumeration form submitted during the SIR lacked several mandatory details, such as:

• Name as per the 2002 electoral roll
• EPIC number
• Name of a relative
• Assembly constituency details, part number, and serial number

“As all fields pertaining to the last SIR were left blank, the system categorised the form under the ‘unmapped’ category,” said Medora D’Costa, ERO for Cortalim. The BLO application maps enumeration forms only when these identification particulars are filled, enabling verification against existing electoral records.

Prakash, while accepting the procedural requirement, noted that the ECI could improve its forms. He suggested revisions to capture more information regarding occupation and previous SIR location, emphasizing that even senior citizens and prominent individuals are bound by EC rules like any other citizen.

Amartya Sen and Mohammed Shami

In West Bengal, Nobel laureate Amartya Sen was issued a hearing notice after the system flagged a discrepancy related to age details in the 2002 electoral roll. Election officials confirmed that the notice would be resolved through a home visit verification.

Similarly, Mohammed Shami received a notice because the system could not fully link his records to legacy electoral data during the revision process. Officials reiterated that these notices are part of standard verification and do not imply deletion from the rolls.

Phase-Wise Facilitation Measures

ECI officials stated that Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) offices in states and Union territories participating in phase two of the SIR exercise would implement facilitation measures similar to those adopted in West Bengal. These measures include:

• Exemption from personal appearance for electors temporarily outside their residence for studies, employment, official duty, or medical treatment, including those abroad.
• Representation by a family member carrying required documents for government employees, armed forces, paramilitary personnel, and public sector undertakings.

Scope of Notices

A senior EC official in Kolkata indicated that around 7 million voters have received hearing notices due to either being unmapped or having logical discrepancies in the enumeration forms. More notices are expected to be sent as the SIR exercise continues. The ECI emphasized that no voter will be removed from the electoral rolls without proper verification and due process prior to final publication.

Conclusion

The system-generated notices highlight the ECI’s reliance on technology for the massive and complex SIR exercise across multiple states. While such measures aim to ensure accuracy and completeness of electoral rolls, officials have acknowledged the need for facilitation, especially for prominent individuals, senior citizens, and those temporarily away from their residences. The clarification underscores that the notices do not indicate any automatic deletion or punitive action, and proper verification will precede any changes to the rolls.