SIR voter-list revision explained: why crores of names were cut

The Special Intensive Revision, or SIR, is a door-to-door verification of voter lists ordered by the Election Commission. Booth-level officers visit homes and ask voters to fill enumeration forms proving citizenship, age and address. Names of those who do not return forms, have shifted, died or appear twice are deleted. In Delhi, about 4.7 million of 14.5 million voters were dropped from the draft roll for not submitting forms. Across states where revision is final, roughly 70 million names are gone; 60 million more are cut from draft rolls elsewhere. The software also flags suspect entries, such as a voter with five or more siblings born in the 1950s or an age gap under 40 years with a grandparent. Critics, including opposition parties, allege the process disproportionately hits poor and Muslim voters. The BJP-led government denies bias, saying only foreigners and fake entries were removed. After an outcry, the poll body said officers will now visit flagged voters at home to verify documents before any final deletion.
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