
During a special intensive revision in Bihar, the district election official Madhubani households together with officers at the stand level to distribute forms for listing on June 28, 2025. Figure: x/@ecisveep
Almost 2.93 crore voters in Bihar must submit documents that determine the date and place of their own birth, as well as their parents in the case of those born after 1987, as a special intensive revision (Sir) of state election roles began on Saturday (June 28, 2025).
The Indian Election Commission (ECI) said that it has decided to launch Sir exercises across the country, starting with Bihar, with plans to be issued separately.
The last such intensive revision in Bihar was carried out in 2003, with 1 January 2003 as the date of qualification. The main election commissioner Gyanesh Kumar told Hindu that the exercise was a proud moment for all Indians, but opposition parties are against Sir in arms that have described as more dangerous than the National Citizens’ Register (NRC).
Also read | Move and bring NRC via Backdoor: TMC on EC’s Special Intensive Revision of Eletoral Roll
Evidence of voter eligibility
State government officials began to distribute the enumeration forms on Saturday 28 June 2025. SIR Exercise began on June 25 by printing forms and is scheduled to end on 30 September by issuing updated Rolls voters.
Bihar has 7,89,69,844 voters, of which the names of 4.96 Crore were already present in election roles when the last Sir was made in 2003.
However, the ECI instructions state that anyone whose name has not been recorded in the 2003 election cylinders must prove their capacity to be a voter and present evidence using a wide range of eligible government documents.
For those born before 1 July 1987, any document that sets its own date and place of birth must be submitted. Younger people born from 1 July 1987 and December 2, 2004 must be submitted documents to prove their own date and place of birth along with one of their parents. For those who were born after 2 December 2004, both of their parents must be provided for themselves and the date of birth.
Also read | Aimim raises concerns about the special intensive revision of the election roles of the Election Commission in a Bihar survey
“The threat of draining”
ECI sources said the survey body already has 77,895 stalls (BLOS) officers (BLOS) and for new polling stations it appoints almost 20 603 more. More than one Lakh volunteers will help real voters, especially old, patients, people with disabilities (PWD), poor and other vulnerable groups during Sir.
“The proud moment for all Indians. The election commission was, is and will always be with voters,” said CEC Gyanesh Kumar Hindu.
However, opposition parties have raised widespread accusations of election manipulation with blinds. Almost all of them protested against Sir and claimed that they were a serious threat to exclusion.
‘Backdoor NRC’
“It’s a sinister step that brings NRC through the backdoor. In 1935, under the Nazis (in Germany), were you supposed to get the predecessors pass … Is it a new version of this Nazi ancestors?” Said the leader of the Congress Trinamool Derek O’Brien.
“Why is this exercise right now? We have evidence of why it is done now. It’s because the latest internal BJP survey for Bengal shows 46 to 49 seats for the party in the State (upcoming) Assembly.
On Friday (June 27, 2025), Congress said the exercise was of a huge risk of deliberately excluding voters using the power of the state machine.
Published – June 28, 2025 9:39