Unlike the 2025 Special Intensive Revision (SIR) which did not include the Election Commission’s own EPIC cards as supportive documents, the 2003 guidelines show that the existing electoral roll and the EPIC formed the base.

Despite the Election Commission’s insistence that the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral rolls in Bihar, which will pave the way for a nationwide exercise, is based on the 2003 exercise, guidelines show that the two have been fundamentally different. Not only did the 2003 guidelines provide that it was “not the enumerator’s job to determine citizenship,” they also show that the revision then was conducted for over six months, double the time taken to complete the SIR in 2025. This despite the Election Commission telling court that the allegations of the exercise being conducted hastily are “misconceived”. 

Further, the 2003 guidelines also show that the existing electoral roll and the EPIC (Electronic Electoral Photo Identity Card) formed the base of the 2003 exercise. In contrast, the Election Commission has not only left out the voter ID cards from the 11 documents that could have been provided as proof of eligibility of voters, it also opposed its inclusion in the Supreme Court.

While The Wire has previously reported that the 2003 order, which is neither on the Election Commission’s website nor on web archives, is referenced in the Election Commission’s July 21 affidavit in the Supreme Court, the affidavit omits key details of the 22-year-old exercise. The 2003 guidelines, have now been made part of the lead petitioner Association for Democratic Reforms' (ADR’s) written submissions in the Supreme Court which is hearing the challenge to the SIR exercise.

2003 exercise conducted over six months, well before elections

Facing criticism for the timing of the SIR, and its close proximity to the Bihar assembly elections, the Election Commission justified its actions in the Supreme Court and said that the “allegation that ECI is conducting the exercise hastily is misconceived” and pointed to the 2003 exercise to say that the period of enumeration then was July 15 to August 14, 2002.

The 2003 guidelines, however, show that the entire exercise was conducted for over six months, as opposed to the three month window (June 24 to September 30) in which the SIR was conducted.

The guidelines say that the Bihar chief electoral officer (CEO) was required to send consolidated reports to the Election Commission that the integration of the existing roll was done by June 30, 2002. It required that the printing of preliminary lists be sent by July 13, 2002 following which house to house verification would commence by July 16, 2002 which would have to be completed by August 16, 2002.

It also shows that two months was provided to prepare the draft roll following which a certificate was to be sent by October 13, 2002 while the draft roll publication had to be confirmed by October 16, 2002. The guidelines also provide that the final roll publication had to be confirmed on January 6, 2003.

This implies that the entire intensive revision in 2003 was conducted for over six months.

In comparison the SIR in 2025 has been conducted in just three months, which was announced on June 24, following which the period of enumeration forms to be collected continued from June 25 to July 26, the draft roll was published on August 1, claims and objections were to be filed till September 1, after which the final roll was published on September 30.

The 2003 guidelines also stated that a comprehensive training programme had to be conducted for enumerators undertaking the intensive revision in "good time" while training of trainers should be conducted "well in advance in a thorough manner".

In contrast, the June 24 announcement by the Election Commission of the commencement of the SIR said that training will be done simultaneously during the enumeration form collection period starting the next day i.e. June 25 to July 26. 

The 2003 guidelines now also make clear that while the intensive revision was completed over six months and the final roll was published in January 2003, the entire exercise was completed well before elections were due to be held in the state in 2005. In 2025, the SIR was completed on September 30, just about a month before the assembly elections in Bihar due to be held in two phases on November 6 and 11.

EPIC cards basis for intensive revision in 2003

The 2003 guidelines show that the Election Commission had made existing voter rolls and the EPIC cards as a base for the exercise, unlike the 2025 exercise in which the electors who were not on the 2003 rolls have to prove their eligibility afresh.

At the outset, the 2003 guidelines state that the special revision "shall entail house to house verification using the existing rolls as a base." 

It provided that since the EPIC numbers are reflected in the rolls, they should be incorporated and updated before the revision exercise, and ensure that the serial numbers are accurate in the preliminary roll and the new roll to ensure those belonging to the same family follow serial numbers corresponding to each other. 

It also said that at the time of verification, the enumerator should ask for the EPIC card to be produced by the elector or their family member, and that the EPIC card had been shown or not needed to be recorded. 

In contrast, a major point of contention for the 2025 SIR has been the list of 11 documents sought by the commission for electors who were not part of the rolls in 2003, to prove their eligibility, which left out the EPIC cards issued by the poll body itself as well as two other easily available documents-Aadhaar and ration cards. 

The poll body in its affidavit in July turned down the Supreme Court’s suggestion that Aadhaar, voter identity and ration cards be considered as valid documents. 

While the 2003 exercise relied on the previous roll as its basis, in the 2025 SIR the Election Commission affidavit in the Supreme Court said that since the rolls are being prepared afresh, “production of EPIC cards would make the whole exercise futile”.

It said that while the EPIC card, along with Aadhaar is being considered for identification these cannot be used as supportive documents for inclusion in the electoral roll.

"The EPIC being a byproduct of an earlier electoral roll, cannot substitute the verification process mandated for fresh preparation and reliance solely on the EPIC for inclusion or automatic continuance would be contrary to both the scheme and purpose of a fresh revision exercise,” it said to the court.