Polity · 18 Jul 2026

Special Intensive Revision SIR

With reference to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, consider the following statements:

  1. Deletion of a name from the electoral rolls under SIR amounts to a determination of citizenship.
  2. The Election Commission's mandate under Article 324 extends to the preparation of electoral rolls but not to citizenship adjudication.
  3. Final determination of citizenship under the Citizenship Act, 1955 rests with the Union Government.
  4. Welfare scheme eligibility, such as under the Public Distribution System, may lawfully be made contingent on SIR exclusion status.

How many of the above statements are correct?

AOnly one
BOnly two
COnly three
DAll four
This question is based on: 33.5 Lakh Pending Appeals - and the Line the Supreme Court Just Refused to Let Blur
Take this in full test mode → Instructions for 18 Jul 2026
About this question

Why in news

The Supreme Court issued notice to the Centre and West Bengal after a petition alleged the state was using SIR exclusions to cut off PDS rations, Annapurna Yojana benefits and caste certificates, with 33.5 lakh appeals still pending.

Why for UPSC

This format-favourite "how many correct" style forces aspirants to individually verify each statement rather than rely on general awareness that "SIR is controversial," which is exactly how UPSC probes constitutional boundary questions.

Prelims summary

SIR deletion cannot determine citizenship (Union Government's domain under the Citizenship Act, 1955); the ECI's Article 324 mandate is limited to electoral rolls and welfare eligibility cannot be lawfully tied to SIR status.

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