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25 August 2026

Electoral roll deletion allegations

The topic concerns the integrity of the electoral process and the functioning of the Election Commission of India, which are core themes under the Representation of the People Act and constitutional governance.

2 min read Day 60 of 76 2 questions 2 prelims

Notes

  • The Election Commission of India (ECI) conducts Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls to maintain accuracy.
  • Form 7 is the official mechanism for objecting to an existing name or requesting deletion from electoral rolls due to death, shifting, or ineligibility.
  • Concerns have been raised regarding the bulk filing of Form 7 applications, with reports of fraudulent submissions without the knowledge of the affected voters.
  • ECI regulations allow Booth Level Agents (BLA) to file up to 10 Form 7s per day, with a maximum of 30, while individuals have no set limit.
  • To mitigate misuse, the ECI mandates a review by the Electoral Registration Officer (ERO) for any individual filing more than five objections.
  • The ERO is required to conduct an inquiry and issue a notice to the voter before finalizing any deletion.
  • Data from Telangana's SIR process indicates a 21.7% deletion rate, the highest in the country, with significantly higher rates in 'Highly Urban' constituencies.
  • Urban-rural disparity in deletion rates is significant, with urban areas showing higher churn, often attributed to 'shifting'.
  • Methodology for analyzing electoral data includes using night-time light intensity (SHRUG database) to classify constituency urbanization levels.

Part of a longer story

This is day 60 of 76 in Election Commission of India electoral roll revision exercises, which has been running since 21 June 2026. Reading it whole is usually worth more than reading today alone — the exam asks how something developed.

Questions

  1. Discuss the role of the Election Commission of India in ensuring the integrity of electoral rolls. How can the process of voter list revision be made more robust to prevent the misuse of administrative forms like Form 7? 150 words
    Attempt this — 150 words in 8 min
    0 / 150 words 8:00
  2. The accuracy of electoral rolls is a cornerstone of a healthy democracy. Analyze the challenges associated with the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process and suggest institutional reforms to ensure that the rights of eligible voters are protected against unauthorized deletions. 250 words
    Attempt this — 250 words in 11 min
    0 / 250 words 11:00

Prelims

  1. Which form is used under the registration of electors rules to object to an entry in the electoral roll or to request the deletion of a name?

  2. According to the ECI's current guidelines to prevent the misuse of objection filings, a mandatory review by the Electoral Registration Officer is triggered if an individual files more than how many objections?

Syllabus

Topics

Sources

250words.in · https://250words.in/daily/2026-08-25/electoral-roll-deletion-allegations