NationalSunday, 27 September 2026·The Hindu - National
ECI halts physical hearings in SIR, launches enrolment drive for voters
On September 26, 2026, the Election Commission of India changed SIR procedures, stopped routine physical hearings, and ordered a special enrolment drive for left-out voters.
Key highlights
Direct fact
On September 26, 2026, the Election Commission of India (ECI) announced new Special Intensive Revision (SIR) rules, stopped routine physical hearings for unmapped voters, and said the SIR process had already been completed in 20 States and Union Territories.
Key specifics
- Form 6 declaration is mandatory only during the current SIR process, not for non-SIR voter inclusion.
- Booth Level Officers (BLOs) will visit homes of persons with notices for unmapped or logical discrepancy cases.
- Only in exceptional cases, decided by the ERO, will hearings be held, preferably online.
- The ECI said a special drive will be launched for persons left out during SIR, including young and first-time voters.
- A committee headed by a Senior Deputy Election Commissioner and an independent IIT/IIIT expert will review ECINET compliance with Acts and Rules.
Exam lens
Polity and election administration question type, SIR, Form 6, ERO, BLO, ECINET, 20 States and Union Territories; TNPSC may ask which authority handles enrolment or what changed in voter-hearing procedure.