In pan-India SIR, no need for documents at enumeration stage

NEW DELHI: In a departure from norms followed during Bihar SIR, EC has dispensed with the need for electors to submit documents at enumeration stage of pan-India SIR exercise. No document is to be collected from electors during enumeration phase. An elector who could not be linked with previous SIR will be served a notice by electoral registration officer (ERO) to ascertain eligibility as per criteria laid down in Article 326 of the Constitution. The elector will be required to submit any one of the 11 indicative documents, which remain same as those sought in Bihar, to prove citizenship as per Citizenship Act. Aadhaar will be accepted but only as proof of identity, in line with EC's instructions dated Sept 9. ERO will be competent to rely on any other alternative document submitted by the elector. The enumeration form has also been modified to capture details of entries of the elector or his parent/relative from the roll from last SIR undertaken from 2002-04. It will have fields like the elector or his relative's name, EPIC no. (if available), relationship to the relative district, state and assembly constituency details. For electors whose enumeration forms are not returned, booth level officers (BLOs) may identify a probable cause (absent/shifted/death/duplicate), based on an inquiry from the nearby electors and note the same. Booth-wise lists of electors excluded in draft roll shall be displayed on notice board of panchayat/local body/BDO office along with probable reasons for non-inclusion. These lists will also be put on the CEO's website. During house-to-house visits, BLOs will carry at least 30 blank Form 6 along with blank declaration forms, for the benefit of anyone who seeks to enrol as a new elector. EROs shall also invite advance applications for subsequent qualifying dates, that is April 1, July 1 and Oct 1 of 2026, while publishing notice for draft publication. Pan-India SIR duration (103 days)will exceed that of Bihar SIR (98 days)by five days. Unlike Bihar SIR, notice phase, decision on enumeration forms and disposal of claims and objections shall be done concurrently by EROs from Dec 9, 2025 to Jan 31, 2026. Preparatory activities for pan-India SIR, including printing of enumeration forms, will be undertaken between Oct 28 and Nov 3, followed by a month-long enumeration period from Nov 4 to Dec 4. Polling stations shall also be rationalised, with maximum 1200 voters each, by Dec 4. Draft roll is scheduled to be published on Dec 9, and claims and objections will be accepted till Jan 8 and settled by Jan 31, 2026. Final roll shall be published on Feb 7, 2026.