From Aafaque Hussain
NEW DELHI, July 18: Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar on Friday asserted that India possesses one of the most transparent electoral systems globally and urged the public not to be influenced by misinformation surrounding the process.
Speaking at the All India Media Conference 2026 in New Delhi, Kumar highlighted the massive scale of managing an electorate of 95 crore. He noted that the electoral roll undergoes an 8 per cent change annually, with nearly 63 lakh entries added, deleted, or corrected every month. The CEC informed that approximately 27 lakh personnel, including Booth Level Officers (BLOs), are involved in updating the rolls through physical field verification. He added that the process remains open to scrutiny by political parties, while concurrent auditing and mock polls ensure the credibility of the system.
Regarding the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR), Kumar stated that over 80 per cent of the required mapping has been completed. He clarified that the exercise is intended to “clean” the rolls in line with constitutional and legal provisions, noting that the process has been upheld by the Supreme Court.
Kumar pointed out that the Elector Photo Identity Card (EPIC) is the only identity document issued after physical field verification. He reminded the gathering that voter registration is strictly linked to citizenship under Article 326 of the Constitution. “To clean the electoral roll, somebody in this country had to do it. It requires courage and determination,” the CEC said, adding that many nations are now studying India’s election management practices.
He also noted that India currently chairs the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International IDEA).
The Commission further plans to re-energise Electoral Literacy Clubs in schools to increase awareness among young voters and strengthen democratic participation.
The conference featured technical sessions on the ECINET platform—which has recorded 11.5 crore users since its January launch—alongside briefings on election laws, polling, and counting procedures.
The event aimed to provide journalists with first-hand information on the protocols used to ensure free and fair elections. A delegation of media persons and election officials from Meghalaya also attended the workshop.
