ECI's nationwide SIR plan gains steam, BLO & ERO training on across states

Even as the ongoing Bihar Special Intensive Revision (SIR) is caught in litigation in the Supreme Court, the Election Commission of India (ECI) has fully activated its machinery over the last few days for a similar SIR launch across the country.

ET has gathered that the ECI's latest national training programme for booth-level officers (BLOs) and BLO supervisors is focused on SIR and has taken off over the last two weeks. The poll panel's top trainers are fanning out across states to prime up election staff on SIR.

Chief electoral officers (CEOs) have also started reaching out to local political party units on SIR. On July 28, the Manipur CEO invited local party units of Imphal East district for a meeting on 'SIR 2026' to discuss revision activities, house-to-house survey and rationalisation of polling stations. A similar meet was held on July 24 with political parties of Kangpokpi district.


On July 22, as per a Sikkim government press statement, the Sikkim CEO met with representatives of political parties and top of the agenda was preparatory works being undertaken at the DEO and ERO level for the proposed SIR, especially bringing in an increased number of BLOs to facilitate the intensive exercise.

The next step is expected to be the big one -- full-scale launch of nationwide SIR in mid-August with house-to-house verification and pre-revision activities, as has been indicated to CEOs, ET has learnt.

ET was first to report on July 11 of ECI's plans to take SIR nationwide from August. The move is in keeping with the ECI's June 24 announcement of SIR in Bihar where it added that it would initiate the SIR "in the entire country for the discharge of its constitutional mandate to protect the integrity of the electoral rolls" and issue a separate schedule for the same.

GETTING SIR-READY
All CEOs have begun conducting training of BLOs, DEOs and EROs over the last few days.

Mizoram conducted SIR trainings on July 17, Goa covered Porvorim assembly constituency last week while Arunachal Pradesh did so on July 25. CEO of Andaman & Nicobar Island met all the DEOs, ERO and AEROs on July 17 to discuss the SIR. A July 15 statement by the Ladakh government mentioned the ongoing BLO training that focused on SIR and special summary revision (SSR).

A July 17 statement by Nagaland mentioned holding the national level training programme for BLOs where "trainees were imparted training on special intensive revision overview of SIR, verification duties and focus area, using of BLO app, demonstration of login, data entry and submitting report, how to correctly fill forms and evaluation". The Rajasthan CEO on Tuesday put out posts on 'X' on training being conducted on SIR.

The BLO training held last week in West Bengal was part of the same exercise with chief minister Mamata Banerjee raising concerns over it. Electoral rolls of the last intensive revision held in each state -- 2002 to 2005-06 -- are also up across their websites for the same.

SIR MODULE
The training for BLOs is being held in three segments. The first is aimed at educating BLOs on the objectives and procedures of SIR, responsibilities of BLOs, handling of enumeration forms, publication of draft rolls, panel provisions and constitutional guidelines, general duties and conduct of BLOs. The second segment trains BLOs on the use of mobile applications to streamline electoral work, and tools and technologies to improve field efficiency.

The third session gives a detailed overview of the voter helpline app (VHA) and its use in electoral assistance.