Why Nobel laureate Amartya Sen recieved SIR notice? Here's the reason

The Election Commission of India (ECI) has generated a hearing notice for Nobel laureate Amartya Sen as part of the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral rolls in West Bengal. According to a senior official from the Chief Electoral Officer's (CEO) office in Kolkata, the notice was triggered by a "logical discrepancy" in the enumeration form. Specifically, the records indicated an age difference of less than 15 years between Sen and his mother, necessitating a formal verification of his documents.

The poll panel emphasized that "all voters are equal in the eyes of the EC" and maintained that no special or preferential treatment is being accorded to VIPs or eminent personalities during this rigorous cleanup of the voter list. The commission explained that such notices are computer-generated based on specific data flags to ensure the integrity of the electoral roll. This development follows similar notices sent recently to other prominent figures like cricketer Mohammed Shami and actor Dev.

Addressing concerns over the convenience of senior citizens, sources confirmed that since Professor Sen is over 85 years old, he is not required to visit a physical hearing center. Instead, a Booth Level Officer (BLO) will conduct the verification at his residence, 'Pratichi', in Santiniketan. To resolve the discrepancy, any one of the 13 specified identity documents must be produced. The commission added that for those aged 85 plus or with disabilities, home-based verification is now a standard operating procedure in the second phase of the SIR.