SIR in Pan India: After successfully completing the first phase in Bihar, now the Election Commission of India is all set to start the second phase of special intensive vetting in 12 states. Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar has announced that the people of Bihar have shown their faith in this process. Along with this, he further said that the purpose of this process is to update and also verify the voter lists across the country. Meanwhile, before starting this process, let us know about those documents without which it is impossible to prove one’s citizenship.

what is sir

Special Intensive Revision, also known as SIR, is a major initiative of the Election Commission to clean and update the voter database of the country. Booth level officers go door-to-door to verify information related to address, age and identity of voters. The purpose of this entire initiative is to ensure that only eligible citizens remain in the voter list. Bihar was the first state to successfully complete this process and now this model will be implemented in the entire country.

Which documents will prove citizenship?

When it comes to proving citizenship, certain documents are legally recognized as per government guidelines. These include birth certificate, residence certificate, passport, National Register of Citizens document, government identity card or pension order. Let us tell you that Aadhar Card, PAN Card or Ration Card are valid only for address or government schemes, they are not considered as proof of citizenship. Along with this, Voter ID card is also not considered as the final proof of citizenship. In some cases, valid civil documents of the parents can also establish the citizenship of the child.

What should you do before SIR

Before this process, you should ensure that you have your birth certificate and residence certificate in the correct order. If these documents are not available then apply for them immediately through the local government office or online portal. It is also advisable that you double check that the details of all your documents such as name, date of birth and address are the same in all the given records.

Also read: Like India, is there SIR in Pakistan too, what documents does the Election Commission ask for there?

Three months ago, after the decision to cancel the short -term visa of all the citizens of Pakistan, the 63 -year -old Rakshanda Rashid, who was deployed, has now decided to give a visitor visa to Rakshanda Rashid. Rakshanda, who is the wife of a retired government official, will now be able to return to Jammu and Kashmir and meet her family.

Rakshanda is a resident of pond Khatikan

Rakshanda Rashid is a resident of Pond Khatikan area of Jammu. Her husband Sheikh Zahoor Ahmed and 4 children are Indian citizens and live in Jammu and Kashmir. On 29 April, he was sent to Pakistan via the Attari-Wagah border, when the Government of India canceled the visas of all Pakistani citizens after the Pahalgam terror attack.

Long battle in court, Center shown softening

On July 30, the case was heard in Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh High Court. On behalf of the Government of India, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta told the court that in view of the special circumstances of the case, the government has taken the in -principle decision to give a visa to Rakshanda Rashid.

He also said that if necessary, Rakshanda can also carry forward his pending long -term visa (LTV) and citizenship applications.

Court had given ‘SOS’ order to the center

Earlier on June 6, Judge Rahul Bharti had directed the Central Government to bring Rakshanda back to India. He had said that when the woman had a valid LTV, it was not appropriate to send them out of the country without a complete investigation.

Judge Bharti had said, ‘Human rights are the most sacred elements of human life.’ He also said that the courts sometimes have to take a decision on the technical side of the case and on humanitarian basis.

Rakshanda is ill, there is no support in Pakistan

Rakshanda’s husband had told in the court that his wife is struggling with many diseases and there is no one to take care of him in Pakistan. She had taken only Rs 50,000, which is now over. It has become very difficult for them to live there.

Came on a 14 -day visa, lived in India for years

According to the court documents, Rakshanda came to India on a 14 -day visitor visa in 1990. After this, he got a long -term visa, which continued to be renewed every year. On 4 January 2025, he applied for the renovation of the visa, but the government did not approve of it.

Rakshanda lawyers Ankur Sharma and Himani Khajuria welcomed the government’s decision and said that they agreed to the suggested way. The family is now breathing a sigh of relief and is hoping that Rakshanda will return home soon.

Court said- This decision will not be an example

The court also made it clear in its order that this decision has been taken in view of the special circumstances of the current case and it will not be considered an example in any other case.

Even after one year of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019 (CAA) rules, it has not been clear how many people have been provided Indian citizenship under this law. The Union Home Ministry (MHA) has refused to share this figure sought under the Right to Information (RTI) Act, raising serious questions about transparency.

The CAA provides for citizenship to Hindus, Sikhs, Christians, Buddhists, Jains and Parsi refugees from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan, provided they have come to India before 31 December 2014, but the ground reality looks different from it. According to BJP MP Jagannath government from Ranaaghat in West Bengal, only less than 100 people have been given citizenship in their constituency, while about one lakh people, especially from Matua community, have potential beneficiaries.

The ministry did not give any answer

When The Hindu put RTI and asked how many people applied for citizenship and how many were approved, the Ministry of Home Affairs replied that they did not have such figures. Later, when the matter went to the Central Information Commission (CIC), he also closed the matter, accepting the reply of the ministry as correct.

Home Minister Amit Shah made a big claim

While discussing the law in Parliament in December 2019, Home Minister Amit Shah claimed that millions of people will benefit from CAA. Now that the rules have been implemented more than one year, the figures and information so far do not confirm it.

What is the Citizenship Amendment Act?

The Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019 (CAA) is a law that provides for Indian citizenship to Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis and Christian refugees from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan, provided they have come to India before 31 December 2014 and have fled their country due to harassment. The Muslim community has not been included in this law, due to which it was also in controversies. Its rules came into force in March 2024, after which people can apply online. Its purpose is to give security and citizenship to religious minorities.

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