Bihar Special Revision: At least 5 out of the 11 documents accepted by the Election Commission of India (ECI) for revising Bihar’s voter list do not show the applicant’s date or place of birth, which are required to be added to the voter roll.
Aadhaar, voter ID cards (EPIC), and PAN cards are commonly used by people not included in the ECI’s approved list. Ironically, people often use these excluded documents to get one of them 11 approved documents needed during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) in Bihar.
Out of the 11 documents accepted by the Election Commission of India (ECI) and some are like the Scheduled Caste/Scheduled Tribe (SC/ST) certificate, Forest Rights Certificate, and Permanent Resident or Domicile Certificate and do not mention the applicant’s date or place of birth. Two other documents on the list are the National Register of Citizens (NRC) and Family Register were not available in Bihar.
Since the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) began, the Domicile Certificate are in high demand. It is issued by a Revenue Officer or Tehsildar, and often given based on Aadhaar, even though Aadhaar itself is not accepted by the ECI as well as valid proof.
A Booth-Level Officer (BLO) from Bihar’s Chapra district said that out of 500 forms he handed out in a week, 185 were returned. But only 10% had valid documents, mostly school leaving certificates. Many applicants who have lacked valid documents said they had applied for a domicile certificate and expected to get it within 10–12 days. Most of them used Aadhaar to apply for the domicile certificate.
Brajesh Munan, a local leader of the Opposition Congress party in Bihar, said that Only a few of the documents asked for mention the date of birth. Usually, people use Aadhaar as proof of date of birth, but this time the ECI is not accepting it.
Mr. Munan also said that about 25% of people who need to submit documents may not be able to do so, which could lead to their names being removed from the voter list.
Around 2.93 crore people are expected to submit documents to be included in the voter list. Bihar had also 7.9 crore voters in the 2024 General Elections. Out of these, 4.96 crore voters who were on the 2003 voter list do not need to submit any documents again, the ECI said.
Interestingly, a sample caste certificate application on the Bihar government’s website asks applicants who provide their Aadhaar registration number.
Bihar Special Revision: Following rules like the Citizenship Act of 1955, the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) in Bihar allows Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) to report any suspected foreign nationals to a “competent authority” based on the documents submitted.
According to the Election Commission’s 2023 Manual of Electoral Rolls, if applicants don’t have the required documents, an oath or statement from a parent, village head (Sarpanch), or a visible check by the Booth Level Officer (BLO) can be used as proof of age. The ERO can also carry out local investigations to verify proof of residence if no documents are available.
When asked, ECI officials said that the final decision rests with the ERO after they visit and inspect the applicant’s place.
The SC/ST and OBC certificates, which are issued by senior district officers like Tehsildars, only show the holder’s name, usual residence, community, and parents’ names. These certificates do not show the place or date of birth, although this information is asked for in the application forms.
The Forest Rights Act (FRA) titles given under the 2006 law include details like the holder’s name, their spouse, dependents, parents, village, address, whether they belong to a Scheduled Tribe (ST), the land area covered, and its boundaries. These titles are signed by a forest officer, a tribal welfare officer, and the District Collector. As of May 2025, there are 191 people in Bihar who had hold FRA titles.
According to the Election Commission’s June 24 order for the Bihar Special Intensive Revision (SIR), people can submit several types of documents to be included in the voter list. These include pension payment orders for government employees or pensioners, certificates from local authorities, banks, or post offices dated before July 1, 1987; birth certificates; passports; school or education certificates; Permanent Residence Certificates from the state; Forest Rights Certificates; SC/ST certificates; the National Register of Citizens (where it exists); Family Registers; or any government-issued land or house allotment certificates.
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