Critically examine the rationale and implications of India's Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in light of constitutional guarantees of adult suffrage under Article 326.

Q. Critically examine the rationale and implications of India's Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in light of constitutional guarantees of adult suffrage under Article 326. (15 marks, 250-350 words)

Article 326 guarantees that every citizen aged 18 and above, not otherwise disqualified, is entitled to be registered as a voter [1]. The ECI's Special Intensive Revision, ordered under Article 324 read with Section 21(3) of the Representation of the People Act, 1950 [2], pursues a legitimate purifying aim — but its method determines whether that guarantee is strengthened or diluted.

Rationale: the case for SIR - Statutory and constitutional basis — Section 21(3), RP Act 1950 expressly permits a special revision of rolls for reasons recorded [2]; the Supreme Court in May 2026 upheld SIR as within the ECI's Article 324 powers [3]. - Purity of rolls as a precondition of free and fair elections — the Court held maintaining accurate rolls to be a constitutional responsibility of the Commission [3]. - Corrective function — house-to-house enumeration by Booth Level Officers removes dead, shifted and duplicate entries; Phase II covered 12 States and UTs including Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal [4]. - Article 326 protects the eligible elector; ineligible entries dilute the genuine vote.

Implications: the case for caution - Shifted onus of proof — documentary verification burdens internal migrants, the urban poor, tribal and slum populations and women lacking papers. - Exclusion risk — compressed timelines mean restoration depends on an elector's ability to file claims and objections; large draft-stage deletions caused acute anxiety. - Institutional trust — contestation in States and litigation risk politicising a neutral constitutional body.

Procedural safeguards - Repeated BLO visits, reasons recorded under the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960, a statutory claims-and-objections window, appeal to the District Magistrate and CEO, and Booth Level Agents of parties [4]. These worked in part: Uttar Pradesh's final roll rose by over 84 lakh to about 13.39 crore voters [5].

SIR is constitutionally sound in purpose; its legitimacy rests on procedure. Adequate timelines, targeted drives in migrant and slum clusters, transparent publication of deletion reasons and free legal aid for appeals would align it fully with Article 326. Accuracy and inclusion must advance together — purity of the roll is meaningful only when no eligible citizen is silenced.

(~330 words)

Sources: 1. The Constitution of India — Article 326, Legislative Department — adult suffrage guarantee 2. Representation of the People Act, 1950 (Act 43 of 1950), India Code — Section 21(3) power to order special revision 3. Supreme Court of India, judgment dated 27 May 2026 (2026 INSC 564) — SIR upheld under Article 324 and RP Act, 1950 4. PIB, "ECI's Special Intensive Revision of Electoral Rolls Being Conducted in Phases with Multiple Safeguards to Protect Eligible Voters" — BLO enumeration, Phase II coverage, safeguards and appeal mechanism 5. Akashvani/DD News, "Uttar Pradesh electorate grows by over 84 lakh after completion of SIR exercise" — final UP roll of about 13.39 crore electors