The Election Commission of India (ECI) has mobilized its field apparatus across the country to prepare for a potential pan‑India Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls starting next month. This initiative follows the Supreme Court’s ruling last week affirming that conducting an SIR is a "constitutional mandate" and allowing its continuation in Bihar.

Several state chief electoral officers have already uploaded electoral rolls from their last SIR—Delhi’s from 2008 and Uttarakhand’s from 2006—highlighting that many states haven’t updated their rolls in nearly two decades. These earlier SIR dates now serve as cut‑off points, with Bihar referencing its 2003 roll.

A final decision on a national roll‑out is expected after the next Supreme Court hearing on July 28 concerning the Bihar SIR. A key objective is to remove illegal foreign migrants by verifying voters’ places of birth. Besides Bihar—set to poll in October–November 2025—the ECI may replicate the initiative in other upcoming elections, such as those in Assam, Kerala, Puducherry, Tamil Nadu, and West Bengal in 2026.

However, the move faces pushback from opposition parties, who argue it could disenfranchise legitimate voters. The court previously advised the ECI to incorporate multiple identity proofs—like Aadhaar, voter ID, and ration cards—to safeguard eligible citizen.