Bihar's 2025 SIR cut the roll from 7.89 crore to 7.42 crore. The Supreme Court upheld it on 27 May 2026 but limited the ECI's role on citizenship.
India's first election needed rolls for every adult; many women listed only as someone's wife were struck off.
Thirteen rounds, the last in 2002 to 2004.
Bihar's roll was rebuilt house to house, with 1 January 2003 as the qualifying date.
Every one of Bihar's 7.89 crore electors was to be verified again before the election.
4.96 crore on the 2003 roll; the rest needed a document.
BLOs delivered and collected pre-filled forms; unreturned forms meant leaving the draft.
The Court let the revision run but asked the Commission to consider Aadhaar, voter ID and ration cards.
The draft listed 7.24 crore electors. About 65 lakh names were not included.
Shifted, dead, duplicate: the Commission's categories.
The Commission had to publish the omitted names, with reasons, in searchable form.
Aadhaar became a 12th accepted document, for identity, not citizenship.
21.53 lakh added and 3.66 lakh removed from the draft; 47 lakh fewer than at the start.
Stage by stage through the revision.
The SIR was extended to 12 states and UTs with about 51 crore electors.
Turnout reached 67.13 per cent, the highest in Bihar since 1951.
From no stay to judgment.
The Court found the SIR lawful and proportionate under Article 324 and Section 21(3).
The Commission may inquire only for the roll; doubtful cases go to the Citizenship Act authority.
Power, proportionality, baseline, due process, citizenship.
Bihar's lesson: a roll must drop ineligible names without losing eligible voters.
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