Special Intensive Revision (SIR) in West Bengal right now is an Election Commission of India (ECI) drive to clean, verify and update the voter list, not a school “remedial teaching” programme. For Bengalis living outside Bengal, SIR mainly matters for ensuring your name (and your family’s names) are correctly registered in the West Bengal electoral roll at your home constituency, or correctly shifted if you have permanently moved.[1][2][3][4]
· SIR is a
special, one‑time, intensive revision of electoral rolls ordered by the ECI
under Article 324 of the Constitution and Section 21 of the Representation of
the People Act, 1950.[2][1]
· In the
current phase, it is being conducted across 9 states including West Bengal and
a few Union Territories, with roughly a month‑long enumeration period followed
by data verification and digitisation.[5][1]
· The goals
are to: add new voters who turn 18 by the qualifying date (for this cycle,
1‑1‑2026), correct errors, and delete duplicate, deceased or shifted entries so
that the list is clean before upcoming elections.[3][2]
Why NRB (Non‑Resident Bengalis) should care
Even if you live outside Bengal, many of you:
· Still
have voter registration in a West Bengal Assembly constituency (your “permanent
address”), but details like name spelling, age, or address may be wrong or
outdated.[4][2]
· Have
parents/relatives in Bengal whose names may be deleted by mistake if BLOs
(Booth Level Officers) think they have “shifted” out or passed away, unless the
family responds to forms or BLO visits.[6][4]
· Have
turned 18 while living outside Bengal, but want your first vote to be from your
ancestral place (village / para / ward) so that you stay connected to local
politics and development.[2][4]
In all these cases, SIR is the most focused window in which
the system actively invites you to get corrections and additions done, both
online and offline, instead of you chasing officials individually.[7][1]
Key changes during SIR in West Bengal
· Every
existing elector in SIR‑bound states is mapped to a pre‑filled Enumeration Form
(EF), which BLOs distribute and then digitise; this is where your family can
flag errors or request corrections.[1][4]
· BLOs and
Booth Level Agents have been deployed in large numbers in Bengal and other
states to visit households, collect forms and run door‑to‑door verification.[6][1]
· The full
process has a strict timeline: a field enumeration window (around a month), a
deadline for digitising forms (for the current cycle, late November in many
states), and overall completion expected by around March before final
publication of rolls.[8][1]
Impact on Bengalis living outside Bengal
For Bengalis settled in other Indian states or abroad, SIR
impacts you in a few practical ways:
· Risk of silent deletion: If local verification finds the house locked repeatedly or
neighbours say “ei naam ta ekhane aar thake na,” your name can be marked as
“shifted” and proposed for deletion unless someone in the family clarifies and
files the right form.[4][6]
· Chance to fix legacy errors: Old rolls often have wrong ages, initials instead of full
names, or mismatched gender; SIR is exactly meant to correct such data so that
your EPIC (voter ID) matches your Aadhaar, PAN, passport etc.[2][4]
· Smooth inclusion of first‑time voters: Young Bengalis who have just turned 18 (including students
studying outside the state) can use this window to finally get their names into
the roll at their chosen constituency.[3][2]
· Digital options for migrants: ECI has explicitly enabled online submission of SIR‑linked
forms (through the NVSP/official apps and linked state portals), so NRBs do not
always need physical presence in Bengal, provided they have the right documents
and a local address reference.[7][4]
Online enrollment and correction steps (interactive walk‑through)
Use this as a checklist you can literally tick off:
1. Confirm
your current status
o Visit the official services such as NVSP or your state CEO
portal and use the “Search in Electoral Roll” option to see whether your name
appears for your West Bengal address.[7][4]
o Note down: Assembly Constituency, Part Number, and Serial
Number if you are already registered; you will need these for corrections.[4]
2. Create /
log into your account
o Sign up with your mobile number and email on the official
voter services portal or app, validate via OTP, and create a login.[7]
o After login, link your EPIC number to your mobile, so all
SIR‑related updates and OTPs work smoothly.[7]
3. Choose
the correct form (very important)
o For fresh enrollment
in West Bengal (age 18+; not on any roll): use the standard new voter form
(Form‑6, as exposed during SIR on the portal).[2][4]
o For correction of
existing details (name, age, address within same constituency): use the
appropriate correction/shift form exposed during SIR (equivalent of Form‑8
workflows).[4][2]
o For deletion of
duplicate / wrong entry (for example, if you now vote from another state
and want the Bengal entry removed): use the deletion/objection form (equivalent
to Form‑7).[3][2]
4. Upload
documents carefully
o Age proof: school certificate, birth certificate, or
equivalent accepted ID showing date of birth.[4]
o Address proof: document that ties you or your family to the
Bengal address—ration card, electricity bill, rent agreement, or similar; if
you live outside, but the house is parental, documents may be in a parent’s
name, which is usually acceptable if relationships are shown.[2][4]
o Ensure name spellings match across documents as much as
possible to minimise objections.[4]
5. Track
application during SIR
o Once submitted, you receive a reference number; you can use
this to track status and respond if BLO calls or asks for extra clarification.[7][4]
o Encourage at least one family member in Bengal to be ready
with photocopies/printouts if the BLO visits your house for verification.[1][4]
Offline route via family or local contacts
If online is difficult for elders or you want parallel
redundancy:
· Ask a
family member in Bengal to speak directly with the BLO when they come to
distribute or collect Enumeration Forms (EF).[1][4]
· They
should clearly:
o Confirm which names still live at that address.
o Provide details of members currently outside Bengal (job,
study, abroad) but who still consider that address as permanent.
o Submit signed forms for inclusion/correction along with
copies of supporting documents.[1][4]
· If the
house was locked during visits, visit the local ERO/AERO office (often at the
SDO/BDO or municipal office) with proofs and ask whether any “proposed
deletion” note exists against your name, then file objections in time.[2][4]
Special cases for Bengalis outside India
For NRIs and PIOs of Bengali origin:
· Indian
citizens temporarily abroad can still remain on the roll of their place of
ordinary residence in India; however, if you have become a foreign citizen, you
cannot be on the Indian electoral roll.[3][2]
· During
SIR, your family in Bengal can:
o Ensure your name is not deleted for being “shifted” if you
plan to return and vote.
o Keep address and age details accurate so that when you are
in India during an election, you can vote without last‑minute chaos.[2][4]
Human side: teachers, BLOs and the debate
SIR has also triggered a heated debate in West Bengal:
· A large
share of BLOs are schoolteachers asked to do door‑to‑door electoral work after
finishing regular school duties, leading to long working days and stress.[9][6]
· Media
reports mention teachers complaining about not being relieved from classes,
server slowdowns for uploading forms, and even health incidents during this
intense period, which has pulled SIR into the state’s political conversation.[10][9][8]
For you as a voter, this context explains why BLOs may visit
at odd hours or seem over‑stretched—another reason to keep documents ready,
respond quickly, and avoid making them do repeated trips for the same
household.[6][1]
By using the SIR window proactively, Bengalis living outside
Bengal can protect their democratic link to their roots and ensure that when
elections come, their names are exactly where they should be—on the rolls, and
spelt correctly.[1][2]
⁂
1. https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2186480
2. https://www.scconline.com/blog/post/2025/10/29/sir-2025-electoral-roll-guidelines/
3. https://www.drishtiias.com/current-affairs-news-analysis-editorials/news-analysis/11-07-2025
4. https://indianexpress.com/article/india/west-bengal-voter-list-sir-2025-begins-heres-what-voters-and-blos-must-need-to-know-10348109/
5. https://www.ceo.kerala.gov.in/ceokerala/pdf/SIR/sir-12-states.pdf
6. https://indialegallive.com/cover-story-articles/il-feature-news/west-bengal-special-intensive-revision-voter-rolls-election-commission/
7. https://www.jagranjosh.com/general-knowledge/sir-online-form-official-website-link-process-faqs-latest-updates-1820003887-1
8. https://madhyamamonline.com/india/ec-receives-complaints-from-west-bengal-teacher-blos-of-being-denied-leave-from-school-duties-1470175
9. https://www.thehansindia.com/news/national/forced-to-work-at-govt-schools-before-sirs-duty-teachers-complain-to-eci-1025619
10. https://www.hindustantimes.com/cities/kolkata-news/sir-in-west-bengal-4-more-blos-fall-ill-in-past-two-days-admitted-in-hospitals-101763909577909.html
11. https://www.facebook.com/ThePulseIndia/posts/as-the-special-intensive-revision-sir-process-comes-into-effect-across-several-s/1240227591460307/
12. https://www.facebook.com/deccanherald/posts/two-teachers-cum-boothlevelofficers-blos-tasked-with-conducting-voter-list-surve/1329329402568787/
13. https://www.povertyactionlab.org/evaluation/bridge-classes-and-peer-networks-among-out-school-children-india
14. https://sprf.in/seasonal-migration-and-childrens-education-in-india/
15. https://www.facebook.com/IndiaTodayNE/posts/government-authorities-on-november-19-conducted-the-special-intensive-revision-s/843811995031975/
16. https://ceowestbengal.wb.gov.in/Downloads/TrainingMaterial/SIRPPT.pdf
17. https://www.edexlive.com/news/west-bengal-introduces-bridge-course-to-address-learning-gap-among-students-across-the-state-26188.html
18. https://hooghly.nic.in/sir-2026/
19. https://banglarshiksha.wb.gov.in/readwrite/WBSEP 2023.pdf
20. https://tiss.ac.in/uploads/files/Final_Report_to_NHRC_Mainstreaming_Child_Labourers_in_Schools-September_2021.pdf
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