UPSC Prelims Practice Questions — SIR rules on parent mapping leave those raised in orphanages, charity homes in a fix

Q1. With reference to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls currently underway, consider the following statements: 1. While Phase-I of SIR was confined to Bihar, Phase-II covers nine States and three Union Territories. 2. Unlike Phase-I, Phase-II abandons the 2002 electoral roll as the base reference for parent mapping. 3. The Phase-II exercise was ordered by the Election Commission of India in exercise of its powers under Article 324 of the Constitution. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. While Phase-I of SIR was confined to Bihar, Phase-II covers nine States and three Union Territories.
  2. Unlike Phase-I, Phase-II abandons the 2002 electoral roll as the base reference for parent mapping.
  3. The Phase-II exercise was ordered by the Election Commission of India in exercise of its powers under Article 324 of the Constitution.
  • A. 1 and 2 only
  • B. 1 and 3 only
  • C. 2 and 3 only
  • D. 1, 2 and 3

Q2. Which one of the following is the constitutional authority that ordered the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls?

  • A. The Election Commission of India under Article 324
  • B. The Ministry of Home Affairs under the Citizenship Act, 1955
  • C. The Registrar General of India under the Citizenship (Registration of Citizens) Rules, 2003
  • D. The Law Commission of India under Article 39A

Q3. How many States and Union Territories together are covered under Phase-II of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls launched in November 2025?

  • A. 9 States and 2 Union Territories (total 11)
  • B. 9 States and 3 Union Territories (total 12)
  • C. 11 States and 3 Union Territories (total 14)
  • D. 12 States and 3 Union Territories (total 15)

Q4. In the context of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR), what does 'parent mapping' precisely refer to?

  • A. Linking a voter's parents' entries on the 2002 SIR electoral roll to the voter so as to establish eligibility without fresh documents
  • B. Mapping a voter's Aadhaar number to the electoral roll database for de-duplication
  • C. Linking parents and children across census enumeration blocks to detect duplicate registrations
  • D. Geo-tagging a voter's parental residence with the polling-station catchment area

Q5. With reference to the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, consider the following States: 1. Kerala 2. Bihar 3. Tamil Nadu 4. Karnataka Which of the above is/are correctly identified as States covered under Phase-II of SIR?

  1. Kerala
  2. Bihar
  3. Tamil Nadu
  4. Karnataka
  • A. 1 and 3 only
  • B. 2 and 4 only
  • C. 1, 2 and 3 only
  • D. 1, 3 and 4 only