Invisible actors: On bulk applications, voter name deletion
The article discusses allegations of widespread misuse of Form 7 for bulk deletion of voters' names from electoral rolls during the Election Commission of India's (ECI) Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process. It highlights concerns in states like Rajasthan, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, and Uttarakhand, where applications were allegedly filed fraudulently without voters' knowledge. The article details the roles of Booth Level Officers (BLO) and Electoral Registration Officers (ERO) in verifying such applications, ECI's existing checks (e.g., mandatory review for more than five objections), and calls for the ECI to implement uniform Standard Operating Procedures to protect voting rights.
The article discusses allegations of widespread misuse of Form 7 for bulk deletion of voters' names from electoral rolls during the Election Commission of India's (ECI) Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process. It highlights concerns in states like Rajasthan, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, and Uttarakhand, where applications were allegedly filed fraudulently without voters' knowledge. The article details the roles of Booth Level Officers (BLO) and Electoral Registration Officers (ERO) in verifying such applications, ECI's existing checks (e.g., mandatory review for more than five objections), and calls for the ECI to implement uniform Standard Operating Procedures to protect voting rights.
Exam linkage
GS Paper II - Indian Polity and Governance: Constitutional Bodies (Election Commission of India), Electoral Process, Government Policies and Interventions for Development in various sectors and Issues arising out of their Design and Implementation.
Syllabus mapping
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