Former Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Arun Prakash and his wife have received notices from the Election Commission of India asking them to submit additional documentation to establish their status as registered electors during the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls underway in Goa, officials familiar with the process said.The notices, issued by the local electoral registration machinery as part of the revision exercise, seek proof of eligibility and residence to confirm their inclusion on the rolls. The step places a retired service chief among thousands of voters whose records are being scrutinised under the SIR, an exercise mandated periodically to update rolls by removing duplications, correcting entries and adding eligible voters.
Admiral Arun Prakash, who served as Chief of Naval Staff from 2004 to 2006, has been a registered voter in Goa for years, according to people close to the family. The notice does not allege wrongdoing; it asks for documents typically required during the revision, such as proof of ordinary residence, age and citizenship, and allows time for submission before a decision is taken by the electoral registration officer.
Officials involved in the exercise said the SIR in Goa has focused on verifying entries that pre-date the current revision cycle, particularly where voters have changed addresses, are frequently mobile, or are listed at addresses that are also used by others. Retired defence personnel, diplomats and professionals who maintain residences in more than one place often fall within these categories, prompting routine verification, they added.
Under the Representation of the People Act and the Election Commission’s manuals, electoral officers are empowered to issue notices seeking clarifications or documents when entries require confirmation. The process includes safeguards, including a right to be heard and an appeal mechanism if a voter disagrees with an officer’s determination. Names are not removed solely on the basis of a notice; deletions follow only after due process.
The notices to Admiral Prakash and his wife have drawn attention because of his public standing, but election officials emphasised that the procedure applies uniformly. “The revision is conducted without regard to the profile of the voter,” one official said. “Verification notices are part of maintaining an accurate roll.”
The SIR in Goa comes amid broader efforts by the Election Commission to strengthen the integrity of electoral rolls across states, using field verification, data de-duplication and public participation. Booth-level officers have been tasked with door-to-door checks in identified areas, while voters are encouraged to verify their details and submit corrections within prescribed timelines.
Legal experts note that the commission’s authority to conduct intensive revisions has been upheld by courts, provided procedural fairness is observed. “Issuing a notice is not punitive; it is an invitation to confirm eligibility,” said a constitutional law scholar. “The critical test is whether voters are given adequate time and an opportunity to respond.”
Public discourse around voter list revisions has intensified nationwide, with political parties and civil society groups urging transparency and consistency. The commission has responded by reiterating that revisions are governed by statutory rules and monitored through multiple layers, including observers and appellate authorities.
For Goa, the revision assumes added significance given the state’s high mobility and seasonal population shifts, which complicate roll maintenance. Election officials say these factors necessitate closer scrutiny to ensure each eligible voter is correctly enrolled at their place of ordinary residence, while preventing duplication across constituencies.