The Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, completed in 14 states and Union territories so far, has shown a gap of more than 7 crore between the projected adult population and the number of voters included in the electoral rolls. This includes around 5 crore persons who were on the electoral rolls in 2024-25, but are now excluded as absentee, shifted, duplicate, deceased (ASDD) or due to “logical discrepancy”, and so on.The estimated exclusion in Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh exceeded 17% of the projected adult population. These two states, considering their contrasting migration patterns, should have been impacted by the removal of absentee or shifted away voters in very different ways.In all likelihood, very few of those excluded from the rolls under SIR would have been “illegal migrants”. These writers had expressed this apprehension in a piece for The Wire, published on April 11, examining Absentee, Shifted, Duplicate and Deceased (ASDD) deletions and how the “absent” category was presumed rather than assessed by the Election Commission of India.In the SIR, electors whose filled-in enumeration forms were not submitted have been excluded from the draft rolls, presuming they have shifted elsewhere without intent to return. The ‘absentee’ or ‘shifted’ status hinges on ordinary residence. Any question as to where a person is ordinarily resident at a relevant time has to be determined with reference to several facts and to such rules as may be made in this behalf. However, neither the Union government nor the ECI have made any rules defining ‘ordinarily resident’.In some states, voices are now being raised to say that people who have not been included on the voter lists after the SIR must be treated as non-citizens. They may well be on the verge of losing the benefits of several welfare schemes.For instance, reports citing the state governments of West Bengal and Bihar say that those deleted from the electoral rolls during the SIR will not be able to avail themselves of government schemes. In addition, it is reported that Bihar would cancel even their bank accounts. Thus, it may be the beginning of severe consequences for those excluded from SIR.Pertinently, the actual population impacted by the proposed linking of the social welfare schemes with SIR may be much higher than the number of voters excluded – since every vote is individual, but each person denied benefits may have a family that also gets affected.Also, there is no certainty that the proposed measures will remain limited to Bihar and West Bengal, or that the restrictions will stop at ration cards and bank accounts. Going forward, those in public and even private employment may face dismissal.The next ‘natural’ step might be to cancel their Aadhar cards, which is a vital document for proof of identity, whose absence may create hurdles in ascertaining identity for a range of services, starting with employment. Even their children may not be admitted to educational institutions.It is a tragedy that the poor and illiterate may face disastrous consequences.Citizenship versus SIRCitizenship is regulated by the Citizenship Act, 1955, and can be acquired through birth, descent, registration or naturalisation. Citizenship may be withdrawn by renunciation, termination or deprivation. Moreover, it is the Union Ministry of Home Affairs that has the authority to declare a person a foreign national or revoke citizenship.In SIR, conducted under the aegis of the Election Commission, deletions have been made for reasons of ASDD or logical discrepancy. Though none of these factors is listed as a relevant determinant for deciding citizenship, a large number of Indian citizens may face loss of citizenship only as a result of SIR.The country seems to be inviting disruption of lives and livelihoods, besides administrative chaos and gratuitous litigation, similar to that observed in Assam’s Supreme Court-monitored creation of a National Register of Citizens.Misuse of Form 7The provisions of Form 7, used for deletion of voters from the electoral rolls or to object to names included on them, were diluted in 2022 when it was mandated that any voter residing within a constituency could apply for the deletion of a name in the electoral rolls. Earlier, the objector had to belong to the exact same part of the electoral roll.Multiple media reports have highlighted misuse of Form 7 to exclude voters’ names from the electoral rolls.Under SIR, without defining any criterion for usual residence, people have been treated as ASSD as they were not available at the place last recorded in the rolls. It was implicitly assumed that such people don’t intend to return to that place in the future and/or should have got themselves registered at their shifted places of residence.When the SIR is conducted in Delhi, many senior government officers may face this dilemma as they come to the Union government for a fixed tenure and they may like to retain their names on the voter lists of their original place of residence or cadre.Recently, in the backdrop of scarcity of LPG cylinders, there was an exodus of people from cities like Delhi, Surat, etc. The instrument of Form 7 may be used against them to seek their exclusion as “absent” because they no longer reside where they are employed.Since neither the Union government nor the Election Commission have made any rule to take into account the place of “ordinary residence” of a voter, as stipulated under section 20(7) of the Representation of the People Act, 1950, their inclusion on the voter rolls would become a matter of discretion by the authorities.SIR was not meant to be an exercise to determine citizenship. It is tragic that it may be resulting in precisely that.Sanjay Kumar retired as Additional Director General of the Ministry of Statistics & Programme Implementation. N.K. Sharma retired as Director General of the Ministry of Statistics & Programme Implementation. Siraj Hussain is former Union Agriculture Secretary.