With just 10 days remaining for the completion of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) in Bihar, the Election Commission of India (ECI) on Tuesday said that 86.32% of Enumeration Forms (EFs) have been collected so far across the state.
Out of the 7.89 crore electors in Bihar, over 6.81 crore EFs have been received, the commission added.
Taking into account forms marked for the deceased, permanently relocated voters, and duplicate enrolments, the ECI noted that 90.84% of the electorate has been covered in the EF collection phase.
Only 9.16% voters remain to submit their forms before the July 25 deadline.
To ensure no eligible elector is left out of the draft electoral roll, which will be published on August 1, nearly one lakh Booth Level Officers (BLOs) will begin a third round of household visits, specifically targeting homes where residents were unavailable during previous rounds.
Special voter assistance camps have also been set up in all 5,683 wards across 261 Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) of Bihar. Electors are being encouraged to submit their EFs through the ECINet App or online via voters.eci.gov.in, ECI noted.
The Commission said that over 6.20 crore EFs have been uploaded on the ECINet platform so far. A new feature allowing electors to check the status of their EF submission is expected to go live on the portal by tonight.
Supporting the BLOs, around 1.5 lakh Booth Level Agents (BLAs) appointed by political parties are also engaged in the process, with each authorized to certify and submit up to 50 EFs per day.
The Commission reiterated that it is “sparing no effort” to ensure every eligible voter is included in the electoral roll ahead of the upcoming assembly polls in Bihar.
Bihar SIR 2025: A rare, full-scale revision before polls
While SIRs are not new to India’s electoral system, the timing and scale of Bihar's 2025 exercise make it unusually significant, according to a report by ET Bureau dated July 1.
Historically, ‘intensive’ revisions involving house-to-house verification have been ordered periodically — nine such state-wide or partial revisions occurred between 1952 and 2004. But the EC has seldom undertaken a full-state intensive revision so close to scheduled assembly elections, as it has now in Bihar.
For instance, during the 2004 revision, states like Arunachal Pradesh and Maharashtra were excluded from intensive updates precisely because they were nearing elections. Instead, they were given only a limited summary revision.
The Bihar SIR 2025, in contrast, is being conducted roughly 4–6 months before the expected assembly elections, making it a rare pre-election exercise of this depth. Uniquely, it is also building on the 2002–03 electoral roll, rather than creating a fresh list from scratch — a departure from typical ‘de novo’ revisions.
The process includes new pre-printed forms, combined with household verification and document checks, mirroring an intensive revision format. But unlike earlier precedents — such as in Gujarat in 2002 post-riots or Tamil Nadu in 2004 where only select areas were targeted — Bihar's revision is comprehensive and statewide.
The move has triggered political scrutiny, given its timing, scale, and potential impact on voter rolls ahead of high-stakes elections. However, the ECI has maintained that the aim is to ensure maximum inclusion, particularly of urban and migrant populations, many of whom remain under-registered.
The draft electoral roll is slated to be published on August 1, 2025.
Out of the 7.89 crore electors in Bihar, over 6.81 crore EFs have been received, the commission added.
Taking into account forms marked for the deceased, permanently relocated voters, and duplicate enrolments, the ECI noted that 90.84% of the electorate has been covered in the EF collection phase.
Only 9.16% voters remain to submit their forms before the July 25 deadline.
To ensure no eligible elector is left out of the draft electoral roll, which will be published on August 1, nearly one lakh Booth Level Officers (BLOs) will begin a third round of household visits, specifically targeting homes where residents were unavailable during previous rounds.
Special voter assistance camps have also been set up in all 5,683 wards across 261 Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) of Bihar. Electors are being encouraged to submit their EFs through the ECINet App or online via voters.eci.gov.in, ECI noted.
The Commission said that over 6.20 crore EFs have been uploaded on the ECINet platform so far. A new feature allowing electors to check the status of their EF submission is expected to go live on the portal by tonight.
Supporting the BLOs, around 1.5 lakh Booth Level Agents (BLAs) appointed by political parties are also engaged in the process, with each authorized to certify and submit up to 50 EFs per day.
The Commission reiterated that it is “sparing no effort” to ensure every eligible voter is included in the electoral roll ahead of the upcoming assembly polls in Bihar.
Bihar SIR 2025: A rare, full-scale revision before polls
While SIRs are not new to India’s electoral system, the timing and scale of Bihar's 2025 exercise make it unusually significant, according to a report by ET Bureau dated July 1.
Historically, ‘intensive’ revisions involving house-to-house verification have been ordered periodically — nine such state-wide or partial revisions occurred between 1952 and 2004. But the EC has seldom undertaken a full-state intensive revision so close to scheduled assembly elections, as it has now in Bihar.
For instance, during the 2004 revision, states like Arunachal Pradesh and Maharashtra were excluded from intensive updates precisely because they were nearing elections. Instead, they were given only a limited summary revision.
The Bihar SIR 2025, in contrast, is being conducted roughly 4–6 months before the expected assembly elections, making it a rare pre-election exercise of this depth. Uniquely, it is also building on the 2002–03 electoral roll, rather than creating a fresh list from scratch — a departure from typical ‘de novo’ revisions.
The process includes new pre-printed forms, combined with household verification and document checks, mirroring an intensive revision format. But unlike earlier precedents — such as in Gujarat in 2002 post-riots or Tamil Nadu in 2004 where only select areas were targeted — Bihar's revision is comprehensive and statewide.
The move has triggered political scrutiny, given its timing, scale, and potential impact on voter rolls ahead of high-stakes elections. However, the ECI has maintained that the aim is to ensure maximum inclusion, particularly of urban and migrant populations, many of whom remain under-registered.
The draft electoral roll is slated to be published on August 1, 2025.
You may also like
Trump's Big Beautiful Bill: How much money will people in each state save? WH releases interactive map by region for classification
'We Are Marathi, We Are Indian': MPCC Chief Harshvardhan Sapkal Slams Hindi Imposition, Defends Regional Identity
Supreme Court: Promoting regionalism as dangerous as communalism
Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule Announces ₹10 Crore Fine On Satsang Group For Illegal Dumping In Ulhas Riverbed
Mumbai Cyber Fraud: 48-Year-Old Dalmia College Principal Duped Of ₹50,501 In Health Insurance Deactivation Scam; Case Registered
