EC Removes Additional SIR Declaration from Form 6 in States Where Revision Is Complete
Applicants in states where SIR has concluded will now use the standard Form 6 prescribed under the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960
New Delhi: The Election Commission of India has removed the additional Special Intensive Revision (SIR) related declaration from the online Form 6 used for new voter registration in states and Union Territories where the SIR exercise has been completed.
The additional section has been removed from the ECINET application portal and the respective Chief Electoral Officer portals in these states. Applicants will now use the standard Form 6 prescribed under the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960, for voter registration outside the SIR period.
The development follows the Election Commission’s September 26 announcement that the statutory form prescribed under the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960 would be used during periods when SIR is not underway. The additional declaration, however, continues to appear in states and Union Territories where the SIR process is still in progress.
Form 6 is the statutory application form used by eligible citizens to register as new voters. Earlier, an additional declaration had been added to the online version of Form 6 on ECINET in connection with SIR.
The additional section asked applicants whether their name had appeared in an electoral roll during the previous SIR and whether the names of their parents or grandparents had appeared in such a roll. Applicants could also be asked to provide details such as the polling booth and serial number where applicable. The downloadable statutory Form 6 did not contain this additional section.
The change had drawn objections from Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi. According to reporting by The Indian Express, the two commissioners had questioned the legality and authorisation of adding the SIR related section to the online form and raised concerns about the procedure followed for making such a change.
The Election Commission had earlier said that the additional declaration was applicable during the SIR exercise and that the statutory form under the 1960 rules would apply outside the SIR period. The Commission also announced a review of the ECINET system to examine its compliance with applicable laws and rules.
The removal of the additional declaration from states where SIR has concluded means that new voters in those states will once again complete the standard Form 6 without the additional SIR related questions.
The development has renewed attention on the distinction between the statutory Form 6 and changes made to its online version through the ECINET platform. The Election Commission’s latest action effectively limits the additional declaration to states where the special revision exercise is still underway.