The Election Commission of India (ECI) launched a Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voter rolls on June 24, 2025, starting with Bihar, ahead of its November Assembly elections, to eliminate non-citizens from the 7.9 crore-strong electorate. The process, involving door-to-door verification by 77,895 Booth Level Officers (BLOs) until September 30, has sparked controversy, with critics questioning how non-citizens entered voter lists initially. The answer lies in Form 6, a simple registration tool under the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960, which lacks mandatory citizenship proof, allowing potential loopholes, per reports.

The Form 6 Loophole

Form 6, used by Indian citizens aged 18 and above to register as voters, requires only a self-declaration of citizenship, proof of age (e.g., Aadhaar, birth certificate), and residence (e.g., utility bills),  Unlike the SIR’s list of 11 documents—like passports or SC/ST certificates—Aadhaar, widely used in Bihar, isn’t valid for citizenship proof, per the report. A former Chief Election Commissioner told  that when Form 6 was introduced in 1952, illegal immigration wasn’t a foreseen issue, enabling non-citizens to register with minimal scrutiny, especially via Aadhaar, which RJD’s Tejashwi Yadav noted facilitated his wife’s voter ID transfer. This lax verification, coupled with political agents’ incentives to boost voter numbers, has allowed unverified entries.

Why the Revision Now?

The ECI cites rapid urbanization, migration, and unverified additions since the last SIR in 2003 as reasons for the overhaul. Of Bihar’s 7.9 crore voters, 4.96 crore on the 2003 roll need only verify details, while 2.93 crore added post-2003 must provide citizenship proof, like parental 2003 roll extracts. Opposition parties, including Congress and RJD, fear disenfranchisement of marginalized groups, with Mamata Banerjee calling it “more dangerous than NRC,”. The SIR’s stringent criteria, excluding Aadhaar and ration cards, challenge Bihar’s poor and migrant workers.

A Path Forward

The Form 6 flaw underscores the need for robust voter registration. Revising Form 6 to mandate citizenship proof, as suggested by a former CEC, and leveraging India’s 467 million social media users for awareness could prevent future lapses. As the SIR shapes Bihar’s electoral integrity, balancing inclusion with verification is critical for India’s democratic ethos in 2025.

-By Manoj H