CEC Gyanesh Kumar reviews Uttarakhand SIR preparations in Dehradun
Synopsis
Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar spent two days in Uttarakhand — visiting a border-district polling booth in Harsil before chairing a state-level review in Dehradun — as the Election Commission races to clean voter rolls across 16 states. With 89% of mapping done and a 14 July draft-roll deadline looming, Uttarakhand's SIR is further along than most states in the third phase.
Key Takeaways
CEC Gyanesh Kumar chaired a SIR review meeting in Dehradun on 25 May 2025 at the State Guest House, Bijapur.
Uttarakhand is among 16 states where the third phase of the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls will be held.
Draft electoral rolls will be published on 14 July ; final rolls on 9 September , per the ECI schedule.
89 per cent of voter mapping has been completed in the pre-SIR phase in the state.
Training for DEOs, EROs, and AEROs is complete; BLO and field staff training is ongoing.
On Saturday, the CEC visited Uttarkashi and inspected a polling booth in Harsil .
Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar on Sunday, 25 May 2025, chaired a high-level review meeting in Dehradun to assess the state of preparations for the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Uttarakhand. The meeting, held at the State Guest House in Bijapur, focused on cleansing the voter list and ensuring field-level readiness ahead of the scheduled roll revision.
Key Objectives of the SIR
CEC Kumar underscored that the primary goal of the SIR is to purify the voter list by identifying absent, shifted, deceased, duplicate, and overseas voters. He appealed to all registered voters to submit their latest passport-size photographs and to extend full cooperation to Booth Level Officers (BLOs) during the revision exercise.
Uttarakhand is one of 16 states across India where the third phase of the SIR of electoral rolls is scheduled to be conducted in the coming months.
Uttarakhand's SIR Timeline
According to the Election Commission of India (ECI)'s published schedule, the draft electoral rolls for Uttarakhand will be released on 14 July, following which claims and objections will be invited. The final electoral roll is set to be published on 9 September.
Chief Electoral Officer B.V.R.C. Purushottam, who presented a status update at the meeting, informed attendees that 89 per cent of voter mapping has already been completed in the pre-SIR phase. Preparations for printing counting forms have also been finalised.
Training and Awareness Underway
The first phase of training for District Election Officers (DEOs), Deputy DEOs, Electoral Registration Officers (EROs), and Assistant Electoral Registration Officers (AEROs) has been completed. Training for BLOs and other field staff is currently underway.
Chief Electoral Officer Purushottam added that all DEOs and EROs have been directed to hold weekly meetings with political parties to ensure transparency and coordination. A comprehensive voter awareness campaign is also being conducted through multiple channels across the state.
Senior Officials Present
The meeting was attended by Chief Secretary Anand Bardhan, Additional Director General V. Murugesan, Additional Chief Electoral Officer Vijay Kumar Jogdande, Dehradun District Magistrate Savin Bansal, District Magistrate Ashish Chauhan, and Dehradun Senior Superintendent of Police Pramod Doval.
CEC's Two-Day Uttarakhand Visit
Sunday marked the second day of CEC Kumar's visit to Uttarakhand. On Saturday, he travelled to Uttarkashi — a border district — where he inspected a polling booth in Harsil and held a detailed interaction with the local BLO. He sought specific information on the mapping of SIR data and various aspects of the electoral roll revision process in the region.
With the draft roll publication date of 14 July approaching, election officials across Uttarakhand are expected to intensify field operations in the weeks ahead.
Point of View
A state-level review in Dehradun the next — signal that the Election Commission is treating the SIR as more than a clerical exercise this cycle. With 16 states in the third phase simultaneously, the risk of uneven progress is real; Uttarakhand's 89% pre-SIR mapping completion puts it ahead of the curve. The directive for weekly DEO-party meetings is notable: it builds in political oversight at the district level, which could reduce post-publication disputes. The harder test will be whether the final September rolls reflect genuine purification — removing ghost voters and duplicates — or merely restate the status quo with fresh photographs.
NationPress
9 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls?
The Special Intensive Revision (SIR) is an Election Commission of India exercise to cleanse and update voter lists by identifying and removing absent, shifted, deceased, duplicate, and overseas voters. It is conducted periodically across states to ensure the accuracy of electoral rolls before elections.
What is the SIR schedule for Uttarakhand in 2025?
According to the ECI schedule, Uttarakhand's draft electoral rolls will be published on 14 July 2025. After a period for claims and objections, the final electoral roll will be published on 9 September 2025.
How many states are part of the third phase of the SIR?
Uttarakhand is one of 16 states where the third phase of the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls is scheduled to be conducted. The Election Commission is running the exercise simultaneously across these states.
What did CEC Gyanesh Kumar do during his Uttarakhand visit?
CEC Gyanesh Kumar spent two days in Uttarakhand. On Saturday he visited Uttarkashi, inspected a polling booth in Harsil, and interacted with the local Booth Level Officer. On Sunday he chaired a state-level review meeting in Dehradun attended by senior officials including the Chief Secretary and Chief Electoral Officer.
How prepared is Uttarakhand for the SIR?
Uttarakhand has completed 89 per cent of voter mapping in the pre-SIR phase and has finalised printing preparations for counting forms. The first round of training for senior election officers is complete, while BLO and field staff training is currently underway.
