Question 1

The Election Commission automatically and unilaterally deletes a voter's name as soon as it receives the electronic death notification from the RGI.

Accepted Answer

The ECI still mandates physical field verification by the Booth Level Officer (BLO) before final deletion by the Electoral Registration Officer.

Question 2

Only the Representation of the People Acts (1950 and 1951) contain provisions related to the preparation of electoral rolls.

Accepted Answer

The Registration of Births and Deaths Act (1969), as amended in 2023, specifically includes provisions (Section 3(5)(b)) to share civil data for the express purpose of updating electoral rolls.

Question 3

Consider the following statements regarding the preparation and revision of electoral rolls in India:
1. Booth Level Officers (BLOs) are appointed by the Electoral Registration Officers under the provisions of the Representation of the People Act, 1951.
2. The Registration of Births and Deaths (Amendment) Act, 2023 allows the Registrar General of India's database to be shared with authorities maintaining electoral rolls.
3. Upon receiving electronic death data from the RGI, the Electoral Registration Officer automatically deletes the deceased voter's name without the need for field verification.

How many of the above statements are correct?

Accepted Answer

(a) Only one — Statement 1 is incorrect: BLOs are appointed under Section 13B(2) of the Representation of the People Act, 1950, not 1951. (The 1950 Act deals with the preparation of electoral rolls, while the 1951 Act deals with the conduct of elections). Statement 2 is correct: Section 3(5)(b) of the amended 1969 Act enables this sharing. Statement 3 is incorrect: Field verification by BLOs is still mandatory before finalizing the deletion, even when electronic data is received.

Question 4

Match the legal instruments/forms in List I with their correct corresponding provisions in List II regarding electoral reforms:

List I
A. Form 7
B. Section 13B(2) of RPA, 1950
C. Section 3(5)(b) of RBD Act, 1969
D. Rule 9 of Registration of Electors Rules, 1960

List II
1. Provision allowing civil registry data sharing for electoral rolls
2. Empowers Electoral Registration Officers to access birth and death registers
3. Application for objecting to inclusion or seeking deletion of a name in the electoral roll
4. Statutory backing for the appointment of Booth Level Officers

Select the correct answer using the code given below:

Accepted Answer

(a) A-3, B-4, C-1, D-2 — Form 7 is the standard application for deleting a name from the electoral roll (A-3). Section 13B(2) of the Representation of the People Act, 1950, provides for the appointment of officers like BLOs (B-4). Section 3(5)(b) of the Registration of Births and Deaths Act (as amended in 2023) allows sharing the national database for electoral rolls (C-1). Rule 9 of the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960, traditionally empowers EROs to access birth and death registers (D-2).

Question 5

Assertion (A): The recent ECI initiatives enable Booth Level Officers (BLOs) to initiate the deletion verification of a deceased voter's name without waiting for a formal request under Form 7.
Reason (R): The Registration of Births and Deaths (Amendment) Act, 2023 legally permits the sharing of the national database of registered deaths with authorities maintaining electoral rolls.

Select the correct answer from the codes given below:

Accepted Answer

(a) Both A and R are true, and R is the correct explanation of A. — Assertion (A) is true as the ECI's May 2025 initiative explicitly stated that BLOs can now re-verify death information through field visits without waiting for Form 7. Reason (R) is true and explains A, because it is the 2023 amendment to the RBD Act that legally enables the electronic flow of this death data from the RGI to the ECI, providing the prompt necessary for the BLO to act without relying on a citizen's manual application.

ECI Electoral Roll Accuracy Initiatives

Oxfam Global Inequality Report 2025