Inside the Election Commission: CEC and Commissioners break silence on SIR row and dissent

Know the Election Commission's official clarification on SIR electoral roll rules, Form 6 parental declarations, and the ECINET portal review amid internal panel discussions.

A press statement on the SIR of electoral rolls, form 6 enrollment, and recent internal discord within the poll panel was released by Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar along with Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi. The official statement comes in light of media reports about how Sandhu and Joshi have objected to some important decisions of the SIR process and have written to the Cabinet Secretary about their concern.

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Form 6 declarations and backing of the Supreme Court

Regarding Form 6 enrollment, the commission explained that the process is currently plagued by certain concerns relating to the declarations made in this regard, as it is done for the first time in the SIR process and involves declaring one's link with the family through the names of parents.

The poll panel said that the requirement has been legally sanctioned by the Supreme Court. Further, the commission also added that except during the SIR window period, the standard forms as mentioned under the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960, still continue to be valid.

Goa voters' omissions & review of the ECINET portal

Regarding the administrative omission in Goa, wherein 97 eligible voters did not make it to the list, the Commission has instructed the Chief Electoral Officer of Goa to ask the Booth Level Officers to approach the respective houses, following which 81 voters have submitted their Form 6 forms for inclusion.

In light of the problem with the lack of transparency on the part of the ECINET portal, the EC has constituted an expert committee. The Committee, chaired by the Senior Deputy Election Commissioner, will include one independent expert from the IIT or IIIT, who will verify access to the portal and all IT module upgradings prior to commission approval.

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