K. Ravi Kumar Clarifies No Separate Documents Needed for Different SAR Discrepancies
Ranchi, Jharkhand – The Chief Electoral Officer, K. Ravi Kumar, issued detailed instructions to election officials on Saturday regarding the hearing of notices issued under the Special Intensive Revision (SIR). He emphasized that voters are not required to submit different documents for each type of discrepancy noted in the notice. The hearing will focus on three core eligibility criteria: Indian citizenship, the voter being at least 18 years old as of October 1, 2026, and residence within the designated polling area.
During a meeting at the Chief Electoral Officer’s office, all District Electoral Officers, Electoral Registration Officers, and Assistant Electoral Registration Officers were reminded to apply these three standards uniformly.
K. Ravi Kumar explained that logical inconsistencies in the voter list may arise from incorrect entries in the calculation form, mapping errors in earlier SIRs, or mistakes in previously recorded details. However, the current hearing is not intended to correct past SIR errors; its purpose is to ensure that all eligible Indian citizens are properly registered.
For voters whose earlier SIR mapping is available, eligibility can be confirmed based on that mapping, even using the names of parents, grandparents or great‑grandparents. In cases where senior citizens lack original documents, reverse mapping using the documents of their children may be employed. Where no prior mapping exists, the Election Commission’s prescribed list of eleven documents will be used to verify eligibility.
The officer instructed that cases already concluded should be prepared for final orders, while only those found ineligible may receive a second notice for a re‑hearing.
K. Ravi Kumar also announced the launch of mega helpdesks across all polling stations on October 10. Staff at these desks will guide voters through the notice hearing process, record claims and objections, and explain how to add names to the electoral roll.
He stressed that no eligible citizen should be excluded from the voter list due to lack of information or documents, directing special outreach for tribal groups, scheduled castes, persons with disabilities, the elderly and other vulnerable sections.
District officers were asked to consult political party representatives to identify local issues and take corrective steps. They were also tasked with noting practical challenges during the revision process and addressing them promptly.
The Chief Electoral Officer ordered an accelerated digitisation of Forms 6, 7 and 8 obtained through Booth Level Officers, with a special camp to be organized by Monday. BOLOs must certify that no eligible citizen in their area is being denied enrolment and confirm that necessary actions have been taken.