NCERT Class 9 Textbook Introduces Electoral Roll Revision Process, Highlights ECI's Role

The National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) has introduced a detailed explanation of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in its revised Class 9 Social Science textbook , describing it as a mechanism to ensure that no eligible voter is left out and no ineligible person remains on the electoral roll .

The updated textbook states that the Election Commission of India (ECI) conducts SIR to update, verify and correct voter lists. It notes that the exercise facilitates the inclusion of first-time voters aged 18 and above , while removing names due to death, change of residence, duplicate enrolment or voters being permanently untraceable. The textbook also says the ECI invites claims and objections before publishing the final electoral roll.

Replacing an earlier reference that mentioned a complete revision of electoral rolls every five years, the revised chapter places greater emphasis on the SIR process as part of maintaining accurate voter records.

The textbook also praises the ECI for conducting free, fair and impartial elections despite challenges such as fake news, misinformation and intimidation . It highlights the scale of India's electoral exercise, noting that the country has over 96.8 crore eligible voters spread across diverse regions and terrains.

The inclusion of SIR in the curriculum comes a year after the exercise began in Bihar ahead of the state Assembly elections. According to the report, the revision has since expanded to 19 states and Union Territories and resulted in the deletion of nearly 6 crore names from electoral rolls.

The exercise, however, has remained politically contentious, with opposition parties alleging that voter deletions could disenfranchise eligible citizens, while the ECI has maintained that the revision is aimed at improving the accuracy and integrity of electoral rolls.