Ex-Navy chief gets SIR notice: 'If SIR forms aren't evoking required information...'

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• Admiral Arun Prakash questions voter roll verification and SIR form effectiveness
• He and his wife were asked to appear 18 km away despite filling required forms
• Social media users criticized EC's handling, citing Admiral Prakash's service

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Former Indian Navy chief Admiral Arun Prakash (retired) has questioned the effectiveness of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise for voter roll verification, suggesting that the forms used under the process should be modified if they fail to capture the information provided by citizens.

His remarks came after the Election Commission (EC) asked him to attend a meeting to establish his identity as part of the ongoing voter list clean-up drive. Admiral Prakash responded publicly on social media, pointing out procedural shortcomings in the exercise.

“May I point out to EC that (a) if the SIR forms are not evoking required information they should be revised; (b) the BLO visited us three times and could have asked for additional information (c) we are an 82/78 years old couple and have been asked to appear on two different dates 18 km away,” Admiral Prakash said in a post on X.

The incident drew widespread criticism on social media, with several users flagging what they described as a serious lapse by the poll body. Many highlighted Admiral Prakash’s distinguished four-decade-long service in the Indian Navy, during which he commanded a carrier-borne fighter squadron, a naval air station and four warships, including the aircraft carrier INS Viraat.

When a social media user suggested that the EC should instead send a booth level officer (BLO) to his residence to verify documents, the former Navy chief declined the idea, saying he did not want any preferential treatment.

“I neither need, nor have ever asked for any special privileges since retirement 20 years ago. My wife and I had filled the SIR forms as required and were pleased to see our names figured in the Goa Draft Electoral Roll 2026 on the EC website. We will, however, comply with EC notices,” he said in another post on X.

An aviator by specialisation, Admiral Prakash was awarded the Vir Chakra during the 1971 War while flying with an Indian Air Force fighter squadron in Punjab. As Navy chief, his tenure saw several initiatives in the areas of doctrine, strategy, transformation and international maritime cooperation. Following his retirement, he served two terms as a member of the National Security Advisory Board and also chaired the National Maritime Foundation.

The current round and subsequent phases of the SIR exercise began in June 2025 ahead of the Bihar elections. The drive aims to include eligible voters and remove ineligible names from the electoral rolls.

The Election Commission has said the revision is necessary due to factors such as rapid urbanisation, frequent migration, new voters attaining eligibility, non-reporting of deaths and the inclusion of names of foreign illegal immigrants. Booth level officers are conducting door-to-door verification to validate voter details by checking relevant documents.