Amartya Sen Served Hearing Notice by ECI Amid SIR Exercise in West Bengal
Sampath Kumar G.P. via The Hindu
Nobel laureate and economist Amartya Sen has been served a hearing notice by the Election Commission of India (ECI) in connection with the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in West Bengal. The notice relates to a discrepancy flagged in his voter records and schedules a hearing at his residence in Birbhum district on January 16.
Professor Sen is a registered voter in the Bolpur Assembly constituency. On Wednesday morning, the Booth Level Officer (BLO) of the ward where his name is enrolled visited his residence, Pratichi, in Santiniketan to serve the notice. Sen is currently outside India.
Background
According to the notice, written in Bengali, the discrepancy concerns the age difference between Professor Sen and his parents, which is recorded as being less than 15 years. The ECI stated that such a difference is “not generally expected” and requires clarification through documentation, especially in comparison with records from the previous SIR.
The notice directs Professor Sen to appear before the designated official at his residence at 12 noon on January 16, 2026, along with original documents prescribed by the ECI, for the purpose of retaining his name in the final electoral roll.
Political and Public Reaction
The development drew political attention after Trinamool Congress general secretary Abhishek Banerjee said it had come to his notice that Amartya Sen, who has brought international recognition to India, had been served a hearing notice. He also claimed that similar notices were issued to actor Dev and World Cup-winning cricketer Mohammed Shami during the revision process.
Impact and Context
The SIR exercise in West Bengal has been contentious. After the first phase, 58 lakh names were deleted from electoral rolls, while 1.26 crore voters were initially flagged with “logical discrepancies” when hearings began on December 27. The number of such discrepancies in the State has since risen to around 94.49 lakh.
Acting on ECI directions, the Chief Electoral Officer of West Bengal has instructed District Electoral Officers to issue notices to nearly 95 lakh voters flagged during the revision.
Conclusion
The notice to Amartya Sen has intensified scrutiny of the SIR process in West Bengal, raising questions about data accuracy, administrative checks, and the scale of discrepancies identified during the revision.
Our Final Thoughts from TheTrendingPeople
The inclusion of a globally respected figure like Amartya Sen in the SIR hearings underscores the wide sweep of the electoral revision exercise in West Bengal. While electoral roll accuracy is crucial, the process will continue to be closely watched for fairness, transparency, and proportionality as millions of voters face similar scrutiny.