Special revision of electoral rolls must balance roll purity against universal adult franchise. Discuss the legal framework and the safeguards needed.

Article 326 gives every adult citizen the right to vote, and the electoral roll is the way into that right. The ECI says its Special Intensive Revision (SIR) aims to ensure that no eligible elector is left out and no ineligible person is included [1]. Purity and inclusion are both goals of the same exercise. How the revision is carried out decides which one gets priority.

Legal Framework

• Article 324: the ECI orders the SIR under its constitutional powers, read with Section 21, RPA 1950 and the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960 [1].
• Section 16, RPA 1950: non-citizens and persons of unsound mind are disqualified from registration. This is the legal basis for keeping rolls "pure".
• Due-process chain: the draft roll is published, claims and objections follow, and appeals lie to the DEO/CEO (Section 24).
• Judicial oversight: the Supreme Court directed the ECI to accept online claims with any of the 11 listed documents or Aadhaar [4].

Where the Balance Tilted: Bihar

• About 65 lakh names were deleted at the draft stage for deaths, shifting and duplication. The electorate fell from 7.89 crore to 7.42 crore [3].
• Voters had to prove their own eligibility. Aadhaar was accepted as a stand-alone identity document only after a Supreme Court order, which also said it is not proof of citizenship [5].
• Migrant, elderly and poorly documented citizens are the most likely to lose the vote under such a burden.

Safeguards Needed

• Inclusive documents from day one: accept the IDs people actually hold. Verify the documents; do not presume people are ineligible.
• Transparency: publish deleted names with reasons at booth level so voters can appeal in time.
• Due process: no deletion without individual notice and a hearing. Existing electors should not have to re-prove their eligibility.
• Independent monitoring: Special Roll Observers who meet all political parties [2]. Party booth-level agents who help omitted voters file claims [4].
• Realistic timelines: avoid intensive revision just before polls. Use technology-based de-duplication with human verification.

Roll purity and universal franchise both serve free and fair elections, which are part of the Constitution's basic structure. The way forward is to move the burden from citizens proving eligibility to the state verifying it, backed by transparency, time and independent oversight. That would make each revision widen participation rather than shrink it, in line with Article 326 and SDG 16.7 on inclusive decision-making.