Wednesday, the Election Commission pulled the SIR‑specific declaration from Form 6 on its portal. The move follows a full‑Commission meeting on September 26 where chief election commissioner Gyanesh Kumar clarified that the extra clause applies only during an active SIR exercise.
The declaration had required new applicants to link themselves to earlier revisions, a measure that critics said was unnecessary outside the SIR window. Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had raised objections in at least 14 recorded instances over the past ten months, arguing that the form could not be altered without amending the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960.
In the village of Pansari, 23‑year‑old Rahul Sharma, who just turned 18, said the new process feels simpler: "I only have to fill out the standard form now; no extra paperwork." With the removal, applicants in the 19 jurisdictions where SIR has closed will now submit only the statutory Form 6, reducing the time needed to get registered.
Some observers worry that dropping the declaration could ease the infiltration of duplicate names, but the Commission insists the statistics show the SIR process already reduced such anomalies. The EC also confirmed that the SIR exercise is still underway in 16 states and three union territories, where the extra clause remains active.
The next phase of voter registration will open on October 15, and the Commission will monitor enrolment to ensure compliance with the updated rules. The decision is expected to clear a backlog that has slowed the rollout of the 2027 general election.