The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Saturday decided to set up a committee to review its ECINET system and double-check whether the portal complies with the provisions of the relevant Acts and Rules.
The committee will be headed by a Senior Deputy Election Commissioner (DEC) and will include an independent expert from an IIT or IIIT. It will submit its report to the Commission. The decision was taken at a Commission meeting held on Saturday.
The ECI said field officers currently have role-based access to ECINET according to their statutory powers. It added that several upgrades to the portal have already been made based on inputs received from State Chief Electoral Officers over the past few months. It said any further flexibility required by field officers would be made operational. It also decided that all new initiatives relating to IT modules and portals will henceforth be discussed in the Committee of Officers before being placed before the Commission for approval.
The Commission also clarified that a letter sent to the Cabinet Secretary was not related to any policy decision concerning the Commission or its IT division, but concerned the functioning of an officer on deputation to the EC. It said work redistribution orders issued by the officer were not implemented after directions from two Commissioners, and oversight of the IT division by the Deputy Election Commissioner was never withdrawn.
BLOs to visit homes of voters issued SIR notices
In another decision concerning the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR), the ECI said Booth Level Officers (BLOs) will visit the homes of people who have been issued notices for being unmapped or having logical discrepancies.
The BLOs will collect the required documents and upload them on ECINET for a decision by the Electoral Registration Officer (ERO). Such persons will not ordinarily be required to appear for hearings at ERO or Assistant Electoral Registration Officer (AERO) offices.
Hearings will be held only in exceptional circumstances, as decided by the ERO, and preferably online. Facilities for online hearings would be strengthened. An elector may also authorise any adult family member to attend a hearing on their behalf, if required.
The Commission also directed District Election Officers to create adequate help desks and organise special camps for people living in night shelters, labourers, poor people, homeless persons and others, as required.
EC says all SIR decisions taken unanimously
The clarification comes amid row over a report that claimed differences within the EC over SIR of electoral rolls.
The poll body said, "In the recent months, the Commission has taken numerous decisions including SIR across the country. The order for the SIR issued on 24.6.2025 for all the States/UTs, starting with Bihar, followed by West Bengal and 30 other States/UTs was issued with the unanimous approval of the Commission. The same has been upheld by the Hon'ble Supreme Court of India vide its order dated 27.5.2026. The schedule for SIR for 12 States and UTs was issued on 27.10.2025 and those for 19 States/UTs was issued on 14.05.2026 with the unanimous approval of the Commission."
It said the move comes in the backdrop of an Indian Express investigation which revealed that the two Election Commissioners — Dr S S Sandhu and Dr Vivek Joshi — had raised objections to the SIR process at least 14 times in 10 months.
The ECI said SIR has already been completed in 20 States/UTs, including Bihar and West Bengal. The final figure of number of electors will be known only after final publication in the remaining 12 states of Phase-III. People whose names were left out during or after SIR, including young and first-time voters, can apply to the concerned ERO for inclusion through continuous updation. Chief Electoral Officers (CEOs), DEOs and EROs have been directed to launch a special enrolment drive.
SIR deadlines extended in Delhi, Maharashtra
Following a request from the Delhi CEO, the deadline for filing claims and objections has been extended till October 30, 2026, while their disposal has been extended till November 30.
In Maharashtra, the deadline for filing claims and objections has been extended till October 12, with disposal extended till November 10.
In Goa, the EC said BLOs had been directed to conduct house-to-house visits to left-out voters. Eighty-one of 97 voters have already filled Form 6 for inclusion.
The Commission also directed that agendas for its meetings be circulated in advance and minutes issued, while requiring officers' annual performance reports to be completed by December 31 each year. It further said Commission approval would be required for official foreign trips and that directions issued by Commissioners to officers must be complied with.
The press note said the decisions taken at the September 26 meeting had the approval of the full Commission.