'Electoral roll revision exercises, if not calibrated to ground realities, can become instruments of exclusion rather than inclusion.' Critically analyse with reference to the Special Intensive Revision in Manipur.

Q. 'Electoral roll revision exercises, if not calibrated to ground realities, can become instruments of exclusion rather than inclusion.' Critically analyse with reference to the Special Intensive Revision in Manipur. (15 marks, 250-350 words)

The electoral roll is the operative document of universal adult suffrage under Article 326, prepared under the Election Commission's mandate in Article 324 and the Representation of the People Act, 1950 [1][2]. The Special Intensive Revision (SIR), rolled out in phases across States [3], is therefore a legitimate purification tool — but in a conflict-displaced State like Manipur its methodology can invert its own purpose.

The inclusionary case for SIR - Roll hygiene: house-to-house enumeration removes deceased, shifted and duplicate entries, protecting the one person, one vote principle. - Statutory basis: revision of rolls by Electoral Registration Officers is a duty, not a discretion, under the 1950 Act [2]. - Uptake in Manipur: over 19 lakh electors filed enumeration forms, with a draft roll published ahead of the scheduled final publication [4] — evidence of administrative reach.

Where ground realities break the design - Displacement: thousands remain in relief camps since the 2023 ethnic violence, whose conditions and rehabilitation the Union Government has itself had to review [5]. A residence-anchored, door-to-door method structurally misses those not at their ordinary residence. - Documentation burden: conflict destroys homes and papers; shifting the onus of proof onto the elector converts a verification drive into a de facto citizenship test. - Trust deficit: Kuki-Zo bodies fear silent deletion, while Meitei groups fear inclusion of non-genuine voters — each community reads the same exercise as adverse. - Compressed timelines: a short claims-and-objections window [4] disadvantages precisely those with least access to officials.

Balanced judgment: the defect lies not in SIR's objective but in applying a uniform national template to a non-uniform ground situation.

Roll revision is indispensable to electoral integrity, yet its legitimacy rests on the elector's ability to contest an adverse entry. Calibration — camp-based enumeration counters, extended objection windows, reasoned speaking orders before deletion, and third-party observation — would let Manipur's SIR advance rather than dilute Article 326. Purity of the roll and inclusiveness of the franchise must be pursued together, not traded off.

(~330 words)

Sources: 1. The Constitution of India, Part XV — Elections (Articles 324–329A) — ECI's superintendence over roll preparation (Art. 324); adult suffrage (Art. 326) 2. The Representation of the People Act, 1950 (Act 43 of 1950) — statutory duty of Electoral Registration Officers to prepare and revise electoral rolls 3. PIB — ECI Revises Schedule for Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of Electoral Rolls — phased, pan-India roll-out of SIR 4. Chief Electoral Officer, Manipur — SIR of Electoral Roll — enumeration coverage, draft roll publication, claims-and-objections and final roll schedule 5. PIB — Union Home Minister chairs high-level meeting to review the security situation of Manipur — relief camps, displaced persons and rehabilitation in Manipur