Election Commission Form 6 introduces parents' SIR status field for new voters despite no rule amendment: Report
The Election Commission has added a new section to the online version of Form 6, used by first-time voters to register, seeking details about the
The Election Commission has added a new section to the online version of Form 6, used by first-time voters to register, seeking details about the applicant’s parents’ status in relation to the last Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, The Indian Express reported. The addition has reportedly been made without any corresponding amendment to the statutory Form 6. While the field is not marked as compulsory, users are unable to move ahead with the application unless they respond to it. When accessed on Saturday, the EC’s ECINET portal showed an additional, unnamed “declaration form” section placed between parts “J” and “K” of Form 6, the report said, adding that the newly added section seeks information on whether the applicant or their parents appeared in the electoral rolls during the last SIR. However, the Form 6 copy available for download on the same portal, meant for applicants opting to fill and submit the form offline, does not include this declaration section.
As part of the online process, applicants are asked to choose from three options: “my name exists in Electoral Roll of last SIR; my parents name (Father, Mother, Grandfather, Grandmother) exists in the electoral roll of last SIR; neither my name nor my parents name exists in the electoral roll of last SIR”. If applicants select either of the first two options, they must provide details such as the Assembly constituency, booth number and serial number corresponding to their own or their family member's entry in the last SIR. Those unable to locate this information can only choose the third option. However, the portal does not explain the implications of selecting that option. When was Form 6 last revised? Although the Election Commission collected similar information during the SIR exercise conducted in 12 states and Union Territories last year, as well as the ongoing SIR process in 19 states and Union Territories through its enumeration form for existing voters, Form 6 for new voters has not been modified since the EC began the SIR exercise in June last year, a review of Law Ministry gazette notifications indicates.
Also Read | EC deleted 6 crore names in one year since SIR began Under Section 28 of the Representation of the People Act, 1950, the authority to frame and notify electoral rules rests with the Central government. Form 6 is prescribed under one such rule in the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960. The law is derived from Article 326 of the Constitution, which provides the basis for universal adult suffrage by allowing all adult citizens who are ordinarily residents of a constituency to register as electors, unless they are otherwise disqualified. Does EC have power to modify Form 6? Section 28 of the RP Act, 1950 states, The Central Government may, after consulting the Election Commission, by notification in the Official Gazette, make rules for carrying out the purposes of this Act." Also Read | Passport a valid document for SIR identification: EC Earlier, any changes to Form 6 were made through amendments to the relevant law by Parliament and/or through modifications to the rules notified by the Ministry of Law and Justice.
The BriefWire