Special Intensive Revision or the SIR is an exercise undertaken by the Election Commission of India to ensure that all eligible Indian citizens are included in the Electoral Roll (ER) and that no ineligible voter is included in the electoral rolls.[1][2]
Article 324 of Constitution of India and Section 21 (3) of Representation of the People Act, 1951, ECI has the power to revise the electoral rolls across the country in any state without prior permission from any authority.[6] Intensive revisions have been carried out 13 times; 1952–56, 1957, 1961, 1965, 1966, 1983–84, 1987–89, 1992, 1993, 1995, 2002, 2003 and 2004.[7]
On 4 November 2025, ECI formally launched Phase-II of SIR across 9 states and 3 union territories. The exercise covers about 51 crore electors across 321 districts and 1,843 Assembly constituencies.[12]
Purpose of Special Intensive Revision
Purpose of Special Intensive Revision is to revise the electoral list due to rapid urbanisation, high levels of migration, the addition of new eligible voters, unreported deaths, and to remove the names of foreign illegal immigrants.[2]
In West Bengal, the most of the controversies took up during the process of SIR immediately after its declaration.
The Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of Electoral Rolls in West Bengal during 2025 had a highly significant and controversial impact on people, particularly the Hindu refugees and undocumented migrants from Bangladesh.[13]
The primary reason for the panic was the linkage required for the SIR exercise, which opponents claimed was a covert step towards implementing the National Register of Citizens (NRC).[14]
Several issues took place following the implementation of SIR over the state.
Panic-Driven Flight: Media reports indicated that hundreds of, and in some accounts, thousands of undocumented Bangladeshi migrants who had settled in West Bengal fled their residences and returned to Bangladesh, especially in border areas like Hakimpur checkpost near Basirhat, North 24 Parganas.[15]
Reason for Flight: These individuals, many of whom worked as ragpickers, masons, or domestic workers, were reportedly living in West Bengal for years and had acquired forged Indian documents (Aadhaar, Voter Cards, Ration Cards) through brokers and local political figures. The fear was that the door-to-door verification by Booth Level Officers (BLOs) and the scrutiny of their voter details under the SIR process would lead to their detection and potential deportation, similar to the processes associated with the NRC.
Anxiety among Hindu Refugees (Matua community): The SIR required voters to trace their name or a parent's/relative's name to the old 2002 electoral roll ("legacy linkage"). Many Hindu refugees who migrated from Bangladesh, including a large section of the Matua community, settled in West Bengal in or after 2002.[16][17]
Suicides and Deaths: The political rhetoric and the fear of being erased from the voter list (linked by many to the NRC threat) allegedly led to multiple unnatural deaths and suicides among people who had migrated from Bangladesh. Families claimed the victims were extremely anxious that the SIR would strip them of their established Indian citizenship.[18]
CAA Offer vs. Ground Reality: BJP leaders attempted to allay fears by assuring Hindu refugees that they had nothing to fear and could apply for citizenship under the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA). However, many in the community remained unconvinced, fearing the SIR's scrutiny would precede any benefit from the CAA.[19][20]
SIR Joyathon
A district level campaign 'Joyathon' of the Election Commission of India conducted during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, intended to provide short work and fun breaks for Booth Level Officers (BLOs) and other staff engaged in intensive voter roll revision work.[21][22] Launched in late November 2025 in Thiruvananthapuram district and promoted by the Chief Electoral Officer, Kerala as a drive to inject energy and fun into the revision exercise.[23]
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