Punjab SIR Concludes with 90% Elector Participation, Draft Roll Due Aug 13
UPSC / SSC current affairs note · Polity
Why in news
Punjab has completed the house-to-house enumeration phase of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, with 90.4% of electors submitting forms. The draft electoral roll will be published on August 13, and a claims and objections window opens from August 13 to September 12, making this a timely update for electoral roll accuracy.
Background
The SIR is a special exercise ordered by the Election Commission to update and sanitize electoral rolls, often in border states like Punjab, to address issues like duplicate entries, shifted voters, and deceased persons. It involves door-to-door verification by booth level officers (BLOs).
Key facts
The house-to-house enumeration phase of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls concluded in Punjab on Monday, August 3, 2026.
Signed enumeration forms of 1.94 crore electors out of a total electorate of 2.14 crore were collected and digitised, representing 90.4% participation.
The exercise lasted 40 days and was extended beyond the usual duration.
20.69 lakh electors (about 9.6% of the electorate) were classified as absent, shifted, dead, or duplicate (ASDD).
Of the ASDD category: 9.44 lakh (46%) permanently shifted, 5.74 lakh (28%) deceased, 4.14 lakh (20%) untraceable/absent, and 1.18 lakh (6%) enrolled at more than one place.
Names of electors whose forms were not received will not appear in the draft electoral roll.
The draft electoral roll-2026 is scheduled to be published on August 13.
The claims and objections window will remain open from August 13 to September 12.
High proportion of 'permanently shifted' electors was noted in Ludhiana, SAS Nagar, and Amritsar districts.
Booth level officers (BLOs) conducted door-to-door verification and collection of signed forms.
Prelims pointers
- Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls
- Electoral roll publication date: August 13, 2026
- Claims and objections window: August 13 to September 12, 2026
- ASDD classification: Absent, Shifted, Dead, Duplicate
- Booth Level Officers (BLOs) role in electoral roll verification
- Punjab districts with high mobility: Ludhiana, SAS Nagar, Amritsar
- Election Commission of India's role in electoral roll revision
Mains angles
- Discuss the significance of electoral roll revision in ensuring free and fair elections.
- Examine the challenges in maintaining accurate electoral rolls in border states like Punjab.
- Critically analyze the effectiveness of door-to-door enumeration in addressing issues like duplicate and deceased voters.