NEW DELHI: The Election Commission of India (ECI) has completely de-linked the online Form 6 voter registration application from the mandatory Self-Instructional Reform (SIR) declaration.
According to the Election Commission of India (ECI), the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) declaration is completely separated from the Form 6 online applications in all Indian states and Union Territories. The rule increases the scope of an earlier modification where people who submit applications for their inclusion in the electoral roll no longer need to file the SIR declaration as part of the Form.
The new rule was introduced following objections from the internal election body management.
Internally opposed: The issue arose when two election officers pointed out issues connected to the merging of the SIR declaration with the initial registration of voters.
Expanded applicability of the rule: Despite the original separation having applied only to states that had already finished the intensive revision process, the latest orders expand its application to regions where SIR is still functioning.
This separation will help avoid all technical delays in using the ECI application systems by new voters.
The shift in the process comes amid rising tensions between the election body and opposition parties
The INDIA bloc, led by Rahul Gandhi, has organised demonstrations in New Delhi and across multiple states demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar. Opposition parties allege widespread voter deletion and procedural irregularities during the SIR exercise.
The ECI has consistently denied the allegations, maintaining that the intensive revision exists solely to clean and update regional voter lists.
Beyond electoral forms, the poll body has instituted structural reforms to clean up internal administrative practices:
Formalised meetings: Meeting agendas must now be circulated in advance, with official minutes drafted and archived after every decision-making session—a departure from previous unwritten protocols.
Foreign travel oversight: ECI officials must now secure explicit Commission approval before undertaking foreign trips.
IT module scrutiny: Proposals for new software systems and digital modules must undergo review by a specialized committee before reaching the Commission for final clearance, resolving previous internal friction over IT deployments.
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