Election Commission modifies Form 6 for new voters, adds parental details

The Election Commission of India has modified Form 6 used for new voter registration to include a new section requesting parental information in the Supplementary Identification Records (SIR). This administrative change appears aimed at strengthening voter identification, preventing duplicate registrations, and improving electoral database accuracy. Form 6 is submitted by Indian citizens aged 18 years or above seeking to register as voters for the first time. The addition of parental details enhances the verification process and helps track genealogical records. This modification raises questions regarding privacy safeguards, data protection under the Digital Personal Data Protection Act 2023, and proportionality of information collection. The change reflects ECI's efforts to modernize electoral rolls and leverage data analytics for cleaner voter lists. However, it also touches upon constitutional right to privacy (established in Justice K.S. Puthaswamy v. Union of India, 2017). For UPSC, this tests understanding of ECI's constitutional role (Articles 324-329), voter registration procedures, fundamental rights vs. state interest balance, and evolving electoral practices. Likely questions relate to constitutional validity, data protection compliance, and electoral administration modernization under PM Modi's digital governance agenda.