In recent weeks, several distressing stories have emerged around the Election Commission’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process. The tragic loss of multiple Booth Level Officers (BLOs) has rightly sparked concern, debate, and criticism. No human life should ever be overshadowed by administrative targets.
But amidst the anguish, it is important to remember why SIR exists — and why India cannot afford to abandon it.
1. India’s voter database is the world’s largest democratic record
With over 96 crore voters, cleaning up this list is not cosmetic work — it is a matter of national integrity.
- Duplicate entries
- Ghost voters
- Outdated addresses
- Migration gaps
- Pre-2003 roll inconsistencies
These are not small issues. They directly impact fair elections, constituency planning, and public trust.
SIR is the first time in decades that the EC is attempting a deep audit of rolls going all the way back to 2002–03. Few democracies have attempted an exercise of this scale.
2. BLOs are the backbone — and they deserve stronger systems, not abandonment of SIR
The field realities highlighted — app failures, high daily targets, lack of digitisation support, pressure from supervisors — are genuine and must be addressed immediately.
But these challenges point to an execution gap, not a flaw in the mission.
The solution is not to dilute the SIR…
The solution is to strengthen BLOs:
- Better-trained digital workforce for data entry
- Additional private-agency support
- Realistic targets aligned with ground realities
- Mandatory mental-wellbeing safeguards
- Clear escalation channels to prevent harassment
- Simplified bilingual forms
- App optimisation during peak load
This is fixable. In fact, it is necessary.
3. SIR is not a political project — it is a national integrity project
While political statements continue from all sides, the core objective remains non-negotiable:
➡️ A clean, verified, transparent electoral roll.
Every citizen benefits when the electoral roll is accurate.
Every party benefits when the voter list is trustworthy.
Every democracy grows stronger when its foundation is error-free.
4. What we must recognise today
We are witnessing two parallel truths:
Truth 1:
The intent of SIR — cleaning voter rolls after 20 years — is absolutely correct, timely, and essential.
Truth 2:
The implementation stress on BLOs has exposed weaknesses that require urgent correction.
Acknowledging both is not contradictory — it is responsible.
5. Moving forward
Instead of halting the SIR, we must:
✔️ Extend the deadline
✔️ Deploy specialised data-entry teams
✔️ Reduce administrative intimidation
✔️ Improve tech infrastructure
✔️ Offer compensation & support to families of field staff
✔️ Build humane workflows for future national audits
Large-scale reforms are never easy — but they are always necessary.
In conclusion
SIR is an ambitious move to strengthen India’s democratic backbone.
It must continue —
but it must continue with compassion, support, and smarter systems for the people who carry it on their shoulders.
A stronger electoral roll should not come at the cost of human suffering.
India is capable of both — integrity in elections and dignity for those who protect them.