Bengal is facing a significant challenge in meeting the Supreme Court's (SC) deadline for publishing a list of names flagged for "logical discrepancies" in West Bengal's voter lists. The Election Commission of India (ECI) has been directed by the SC to publish the names of approximately 12.5 million individuals who have been flagged due to mismatches in age details with parents or grandparents. This directive is part of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voter lists in the state.
The Supreme Court's order mandates the ECI to ensure transparent verification of these individuals, providing them with adequate opportunities to be heard. The lists must be displayed at gram panchayat bhavans, block offices, and ward offices across the state. The court has set a strict timeline, requiring objections to the enlisted names to be filed within 10 days of publication, with further time granted for document submission.
These notices are classified into three categories: mapped, unmapped, and logical discrepancy. The "logical discrepancy" category includes instances of mismatches in the age of parents or grandparents. The ECI's affidavit to the Supreme Court stated that many such instances are scientifically impossible. For example, the EC found 459,054 instances of electors having more than five children, with 206,056 having more than six. They also flagged instances of a 50-year age gap between parents and children.
The Special Intensive Revision (SIR) 2026 in West Bengal introduced a system of algorithmic verification categorized as “logical discrepancies”. Using centralized software, the ECI flagged approximately 1.36 crore electors for inconsistencies in their enumeration forms. The Supreme Court questioned the logic of these flags, noting that child marriage, while illegal, remains a historical reality and should not invalidate voter registrations. The ECI later admitted that software malfunctions contributed to the high volume of suspicious flags.
The perceived arbitrariness of the discrepancy flags and the logistical strain of the hearing process led to petitions before the Supreme Court of India. On January 19, 2026, the Supreme Court issued a set of directions aimed at ensuring transparency and preventing stress on the people of West Bengal. The court has also directed West Bengal to ensure adequate manpower is available for deployment at hearing locations. Local authorities are required to issue receipts for documents received and provide reasons for their final decisions.
The Election Commission had extended the dates for submitting objections against the SIR process to January 19, 2026. Protests were reported in West Bengal over the SIR hearing process on January 16, 2026, during which offices of Block Development Officers (BDO) were attacked.
The rigid data matching algorithms appear to be struggling with the cultural complexity of names in West Bengal's diverse periphery. While over 84 lakh people were flagged under "Father Name Mismatch", the data confirms that these are more concentrated in the Gorkha/tribal belt and the Muslim-majority North-Central zones. In the hilly regions, the system struggled with the fluidity of Gorkha and tribal identities, flagging inconsistent transliterations or the interchangeable use of clan names. Similarly, in the Muslim-majority plains, the algorithm fails to parse the variable placement of honorifics.
Given the scale of the exercise, the Supreme Court has emphasized the importance of transparency and has directed the ECI to display the names under the logical discrepancy category at various local offices. Objections must be invited within 10 days of publication, followed by additional time for submission of documents. The court has also clarified that individuals who have received notices are entitled to submit documents or objections through authorized agents.
