Special Intensive Revision Added to Class 9 NCERT Textbook; ECI Praised for Conducting Free and Fair Elections

By Mahima Katal

New Delhi, June 26: The Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls has been included in the new Class 9 Social Science textbook published by the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT), which describes the exercise as a mechanism to ensure that all eligible citizens are enrolled as voters while removing ineligible entries from electoral rolls.

The revised textbook also commends the Election Commission of India (ECI) for conducting free, fair and impartial elections despite challenges such as misinformation, fake news and voter intimidation.

The inclusion comes a year after the ECI launched the Special Intensive Revision exercise, which has so far resulted in the deletion of nearly six crore names from electoral rolls. The drive, currently underway in 19 states and Union Territories, has also drawn criticism from opposition parties, which have accused the poll body of disenfranchising eligible voters.

The pilot phase of the SIR began in Bihar on June 24 last year ahead of the Assembly elections. The revision led to the removal of nearly 65 lakh names from the state's electoral rolls, with opposition leaders and activists alleging that many voters were excluded due to documentation-related issues. The ECI has maintained that the exercise is aimed at improving the accuracy of voter lists.

In the chapter titled Understanding Society: India and Beyond, the textbook states that the ECI undertakes SIR to update, verify and correct electoral rolls, ensuring that no eligible citizen is left out while preventing ineligible persons from remaining on the voter list.

The text notes that the exercise also facilitates the inclusion of first-time voters who have recently turned 18 and may otherwise miss registration due to lack of awareness or other reasons.

It further explains that names are removed from electoral rolls in cases of death, change of residence, duplicate enrolment or when a voter is permanently untraceable. According to the textbook, the ECI also provides an opportunity for citizens to file claims and objections before publishing the final electoral roll.

The previous Class 9 textbook had only mentioned that electoral rolls are comprehensively revised every five years to keep them updated.

The revised edition, prepared in accordance with the National Curriculum Framework, also highlights the scale of India's electoral process, noting that more than 96.8 crore eligible voters participate in elections conducted across diverse geographical and social conditions.

The textbook states that the ECI independently manages this vast electoral exercise and strives to ensure that elections are conducted impartially at every level. It also acknowledges the logistical and administrative challenges involved in conducting elections for hundreds of political parties across thousands of polling stations while maintaining free and fair electoral processes.