FORMER CIVIL SERVANTS CALL FOR SCRAPPING OF SIR, CITE CONCERNS OVER VOTING RIGHTS

September 27, 2026

NEW DELHI: The Constitutional Conduct Group, a collective of former All-India and Central Services civil servants, has called for the Election Commission to scrap the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, alleging that the exercise could adversely affect voting rights and public confidence in the poll panel. An open letter signed by around 200 members was issued amid continuing controversy over the electoral-roll revision process.

The group alleged that the SIR process had resulted in instances of bulk deletions, arbitrary additions, inadequate documentation and what it described as partisan instructions and unreasonable demands on voters. It argued that requiring voters to establish their citizenship placed an excessive burden on electors and questioned the constitutional basis for such a requirement. These are assertions made by the former civil servants and have not been established as judicial findings.

The former officials said they had examined media reports and interacted with people who they described as having been disenfranchised, as well as former civil servants with experience of election administration. They warned that the exercise could affect universal adult suffrage and the country's multi-ethnic, multi-religious and multi-lingual social fabric.

The group also questioned whether the decision to undertake the SIR was taken independently by the Election Commission or at the government's request, saying the poll panel had not publicly clarified the circumstances. It called for a return to established procedures for electoral registration.

The demand comes amid wider political and institutional debate over SIR, including reports of differences among Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu, Vivek Joshi and Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. The ECI has maintained that differences and observations are part of institutional deliberations and has said its final decisions relating to SIR were unanimous.