daily editorial analysis for 8 November 2025

A Wider SIR Has Momentum but It Is Still a Test Case

Context

• The Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls marks a major step in India’s ongoing effort to safeguard the accuracy and inclusiveness of its voter lists.
• Conducted by the Election Commission of India (ECI) after more than two decades, the SIR aims to ensure that every eligible citizen is correctly registered and every ineligible or duplicate entry removed.
• Beyond a technical update, it reflects a renewed commitment to free, fair, and transparent elections across a vast and diverse democracy.

The Scope of the SIR, Challenges and State-Specific Concerns

• The Scope of the SIR

  • The SIR, launched on November 4, 2025, follows its successful implementation in Bihar and now extends to nine States and three Union Territories.
  • These include Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Kerala, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Goa, Gujarat, and the Union Territories of Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Lakshadweep, and Puducherry.
  • The draft electoral roll will be published on December 9, 2025, and the final roll, on February 7, 2026.
  • In its scale, the revision is extraordinary, covering 51 crore electors, 321 districts, and 1,843 Assembly constituencies.
  • It involves over 33 lakh Booth Level Officers (BLOs) and approximately 7.64 lakh booth-level agents from political parties.
  • Yet, no one size fits all; regional realities, political sensitivities, and administrative capacities vary widely.

• Challenges and State-Specific Concerns

  • Responses to the SIR reveal the diverse political landscape of India.
  • Tamil Nadu and Kerala have expressed caution, while West Bengal, with its 7 crore electors and border constituencies near Bangladesh, has taken a more confrontational stance due to ongoing debates on citizenship and infiltration.
  • Uttar Pradesh, home to 44 crore electors, presents complex social and administrative challenges.
  • The difficulties faced during the Bihar exercise, particularly concerning migrant verification, do not uniformly apply elsewhere.
  • The efficiency of past summary revisions also differs by State, shaping the scale of the current task.

The Defining Property of SIR: Transparency and Voter Confidence

• The ECI has clearly directed that no document is to be collected from electors during the Enumeration Phase, easing the anxiety often associated with document verification.
• Only cases where names cannot be matched with previous records will undergo review, ensuring that genuine voters face no procedural obstacles.
• Each BLO will visit households three times, creating a sense of reassurance and accountability.
• Familiar forms, Form 6 for enrolment, Form 7 for deletion, and Form 8 for correction, remain in use, providing continuity and accessibility.
• By reasserting Article 326 of the Constitution, which guarantees universal adult franchise, alongside Article 324, which empowers the ECI to conduct elections, the SIR strengthens the constitutional framework of India’s democracy.
• It transforms voter registration into a right-based process, not a bureaucratic burden.

Broader Democratic and Institutional Implications

• The SIR is more than a technical clean-up; it is an act of democratic renewal.
• By removing outdated entries caused by death, migration, or duplication, the exercise ensures that each vote carries equal weight.
• Its pan-India implementation affirms that electoral integrity depends on constant vigilance and adaptation.
• The SIR also complements the ECI’s mobilisation campaigns that encourage new voter registration and higher turnout.
• Together, these efforts cleanse and expand the electorate, enhancing both accuracy and participation.
• The Supreme Court’s affirmation of the SIR’s legality reinforces its legitimacy, but the ECI must continue to display skill, empathy, and transparency in its execution.
• The Commission’s legacy of competence and public trust demands continuous engagement with voters and stakeholders.
• Administrative precision must go hand in hand with human sensitivity, ensuring that no legitimate voter is excluded in the pursuit of accuracy.

Conclusion

• While challenges remain, the process strengthens the foundations of democratic participation by ensuring that every legitimate citizen’s right to vote is protected and that electoral rolls reflect the living reality of the nation.
• In a global context where electoral credibility is under scrutiny, India’s SIR demonstrates how transparency, adaptability, and institutional trust can safeguard democracy.
• The success of the Bihar model offers a hopeful precedent.
• If sustained with the same diligence nationwide, the SIR will not only refine the rolls but also renew faith in the core democratic promise: one person, one vote, one value.

A Wider SIR Has Momentum but It Is Still a Test Case FAQs

 Q1. What is the main objective of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR)?
Ans. The main objective of the SIR is to ensure that every eligible citizen is correctly registered on the electoral roll and that all duplicate or ineligible entries are removed.

Q2. Which constitutional articles are emphasized during the SIR process?
Ans. The SIR emphasizes Article 326, which guarantees universal adult franchise, and Article 324, which empowers the Election Commission of India to conduct elections.

Q3. Why do different States face varying challenges during the SIR?
Ans. Different States face varying challenges because of differences in migration patterns, administrative efficiency, political climate, and social complexities.

Q4. How has the Election Commission made the SIR more citizen-friendly?
Ans. The Election Commission has made the SIR more citizen-friendly by ensuring that no documents are collected during enumeration and by requiring Booth Level Officers to make three household visits for verification.

Q5. What larger democratic value does the SIR reinforce?
Ans. The SIR reinforces the integrity and inclusiveness of India’s democracy by protecting every citizen’s right to vote and ensuring that electoral rolls remain accurate and transparent.

 Source: The Hindu

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India’s Maoist Insurgency - Collapse of the Movement but Enduring Roots of Inequality

Context

• The Maoist insurgency — once described by former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh as the “gravest internal security threat” to India — is witnessing an unprecedented decline.
• Originating from the Naxalbari movement of 1967 in West Bengal, it spread primarily across the "Red Corridor," affecting states like Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Odisha, Maharashtra, Kerala, West Bengal, MP, and parts of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.
• While the armed movement is on the verge of collapse, the underlying issues of inequality, deprivation, and exclusion that fuelled it remain unresolved.

Current Status of the Maoist Insurgency

• Sharp decline in Maoist strength:
  • As per South Asia Terrorism Portal (SATP) data (till October 29, 2025), 333 Maoists killed, 398 arrested, and 1,787 surrendered this year.
  • Large-scale surrenders this year highlight the waning influence:
    • 103 Maoists surrendered in Bijapur.
    • Senior leader Mallojula Venugopal Rao and 60 cadres in Gadchiroli.
    • 210 Maoists (110 women) surrendered in Jagdalpur, depositing over 150 weapons including AK-47s, INSAS rifles, grenade launchers, etc.
  • Shrinking red corridor:
    • As per the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), only 11 districts are now affected by Left-Wing Extremism (LWE).
    • 3 districts — Bijapur, Sukma, and Narayanpur (Chhattisgarh) — remain severely impacted.
    • In contrast, 223 districts were affected 15 years ago.
  • Credit for the turnaround:
    • Success attributed to the holistic, integrated approach of the Central Government, combining:
      • Security operations,
      • Developmental initiatives, and
      • Effective coordination between State police and Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs).
    • Reflects the capacity of Indian security forces to contain and neutralize internal insurgencies.

Historical and Ideological Roots

• Origins of the Maoist movement:

  • The Naxalite movement, inspired by Charu Mazumdar in the late 1960s, drew from Mao Zedong’s revolutionary ideology.
  • However, its foreign ideological borrowing limited grassroots resonance.
  • The movement attracted support by championing the cause of the landless, tribals, and marginalised populations neglected by the state.

• Persisting ideological undercurrent:

  • Despite the insurgency’s collapse, the sense of injustice and marginalisation that fuelled it remains.
  • Economic inequality, social exclusion, and political neglect persist, keeping alive the ideological embers of rebellion.

Persisting Inequality and Deprivation

• Uneven economic growth:

  • India’s economic rise has been impressive but exclusionary.
  • India still ranks lowest among the G20 countries in both per capita GDP ($2,878) and PPP ($12,131.8) terms, and it trails behind even Sri Lanka and Bhutan.
  • Gini Coefficient, a measure of income inequality, shows only modest improvement.
  • The number of billionaires (wealth exceeding $1 billion or Rs 8,800 crore) in the country has gone up to 1,687, an increase of 148 from last year.
  • Top-down development models lack sensitivity to local realities, especially in tribal and forested regions.

• Human development gaps:

  • Left-Wing Extremism (LWE) districts lag in all major human development parameters. For example,
    • Malkangiri (Odisha): Human Development Index (HDI) is only 0.37 vs state average 0.579.
    • Gadchiroli (Maharashtra): The NFHS-5-based District Nutrition Profile (2022) shows that around one-third of children under five are stunted or wasted, and more than 60% of women of reproductive age are anaemic.
  • Despite improvements in infrastructure (roads, mobile towers), and initiatives like Industrial Training Institutes and Eklavya Model Schools have, the basic metrics of human well-being - education, healthcare, and nutrition - remains poor.

• Tribal displacement and forest rights

  • Tribal populations in mineral-rich regions bear the brunt of “development”.
  • Displacement due to mining, dams, industrial projects, often without adequate compensation.
  • For example,
    • 15% of Forest Rights Act (FRA) claims are pending.
    • 78,000 hectares of forest land diverted for non-forest use in the last four years.

Implications and Challenges Ahead:

• Physical victory vs ideological continuity:

  • The armed struggle is nearly over, but the moral critique of inequality endures.
  • Without addressing structural socio-economic disparities, discontent could re-emerge in new forms.

• Poor governance and exclusion:

  • Inclusive growth, effective local governance, and tribal empowerment remains a challenge in the LWE-affected regions.
  • Land rights, forest rights, and rehabilitation policies lack implementation.

Way Forward

• Sustain security gains: Maintain vigilance and intelligence-led policing to prevent Maoist regrouping.
• Accelerate human development: Focus on education, healthcare, nutrition, and livelihood in tribal areas.
• Implement FRA and PESA effectively: Empower local communities in resource management and self-governance.
• Inclusive growth and good governance: Adopt bottom-up development tailored to local needs rather than one-size-fits-all schemes.
• Political empowerment: Deepen grassroots democracy through Panchayati Raj and Scheduled Areas governance reforms.

Conclusion

• India’s successful containment of the Maoist insurgency marks a major internal security milestone, demonstrating the strength of its democratic and administrative institutions.
• However, the end of the insurgency must not breed complacency.
• The ideological spark of Naxalbari — born out of inequality, alienation, and deprivation — will continue to simmer unless India bridges the divide between rapid growth and inclusive development.

India’s Maoist Insurgency FAQs

Q1. What factors are responsible for the recent decline of Left-Wing Extremism (LWE) in India?

Ans. The decline stems from an integrated approach combining intensified security operations and developmental initiatives.

Q2. Why do the ideological roots of Maoist insurgency continue to persist?

Ans. It is due to continued social inequality, economic deprivation, and political marginalisation of tribal and rural poor communities.

Q3. How unequal economic growth contributes to the persistence of LWE in India?

Ans. Top-down and exclusionary development, rising income inequality, and poor HDI have sustained the socio-economic discontent underlying LWE.

Q4. How has the implementation of the Forest Rights Act (2006) affected tribal empowerment in LWE-affected areas?

Ans. Implementation has been tardy, with 15% of claims pending and 78,000 hectares of forest land diverted.

Q5. What measures are required to ensure long-term stability and inclusive growth in post-insurgency regions?

Ans. Long-term stability requires effective FRA and PESA implementation, localised development, sustained community participation in governance, etc.

Source: IE