Bengal SIR hearing sessions: Individual educational institutions’ credentials will not be taken into consideration by ECI

Bengal SIR hearing sessions: During the hearings on the claims and objections to the draft voters’ list in West Bengal, which will begin this week, the Election Commission of India (ECI) has made it clear that academic qualification certificates issued by individual educational institutions, including schools and colleges, will not be accepted as legitimate identity documents or age proof.

According to insiders from the Chief Electoral Officer’s (CEO) office, the ECI has made it clear that academic qualification certificates from universities, registered education boards, or education councils will be accepted as legitimate identity documents or proof of age during the hearing sessions.

One of the 12 papers required by the ECI for “unmapped voters” to provide in order to have their names kept on the voter list is an academic qualification certificate. “Unmapped voters” are individuals who were unable to use “self-mapping” or “progeny mapping” to demonstrate their connections to the voters’ list from 2002, the last time Special Intensive Revision (SIR) was carried out in West Bengal.

Voters whose names appear on the 2002 voters’ list are known as “self-mapping” voters. Conversely, voters whose parents’ names appear on the 2002 list are known as “progeny mapping” voters.

According to insiders from the CEO’s office, the ECI has been informed that attempts may be made to pass off academic qualification certificates from individual educational institutions—such as colleges and schools—as certificates from universities, registered education boards, or councils during the hearing sessions.

However, there is very little likelihood that academic credentials given by universities, recognized education boards, or councils would be manipulated. If these certifications are granted by certain educational institutions, such as schools and colleges, the same manipulations are likely to occur. According to an insider in the CEO’s office, the ECI had explicitly said that academic credentials from universities, recognized education boards, or councils would be accepted as legitimate identification papers or evidence of age.

The state’s current SIR exercise began on November 4. On December 16, the draft voter list was released. The final voters’ list will be released on February 14 of the following year, marking the conclusion of the three-stage SIR process. The ECI will then make the polling dates for the Assembly elections that are planned for the following year public.