In an open letter dated July 29, 2025, ninety‑three retired civil servants from All‑India and Union government services — coming under the Constitutional Conduct Group — have strongly challenged the Election Commission of India’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voter rolls in Bihar (with plans to extend nationally), calling it “one of the biggest threats Indian democracy has faced.” They argue the exercise places the burden of proving citizenship on voters, undermining the principle of universal adult suffrage.

The bureaucrats warned that by requiring substantial documentation — often inaccessible to the poor or migrants — the process is capable of disenfranchising a large segment of the population. They further noted the EC has effectively given itself power to confer or revoke citizenship rights without constitutional authority, empowering officials with undue discretionary powers that could be misused.

The letter also criticized the rapid, top‑down rollout of SIR, saying booth level officers faced “impossible timelines,” inadequate infrastructure, and that the process lacked transparency and proper oversight, risking widespread procedural flaws from the outset.

Meanwhile, the SIR has come under growing political fire. Opposition parties, civil society groups, and legal experts have raised concerns, pointing to the likely exclusion of up to 65 lakh voters marked as dead, untraceable, or migrated, while the Supreme Court has agreed to hear challenges to the process.