UN Special Rapporteur expresses concern about SIR and use of AI-driven models for minority exclusion

Three UN Special Rapporteurs have expressed concern over the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) by the Election Commission of India (ECI) over the mass deletion of Muslim voters. The authors drew the attention of the Indian government to the “large-scale removal of millions of names from electoral rolls through the ECI-led SIR process, particularly affecting members of minorities.”

The report, written on May 1, 2026, provides a 60-day timeline for the Government of India to respond to concerns raised by the Special Rapporteur on Minority Affairs, the Special Rapporteur on the Promotion and Protection of the Right to Freedom of Opinion and Expression, and the Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or Belief.

A similar communication was sent by the UN Special Rapporteur in December 2018 when the National Register of Citizens (NRC) was being compiled and updated in Assam. Again, officials questioned the ECI’s role in excluding ethnic, religious and linguistic minorities from the controversial NRC.

The report points to multiple problems with SIR, including the alleged use of an opaque AI-driven system, weak grounds for removing names such as spelling, not enough time for voters to sort out their paperwork, lack of redress, and political rhetoric aimed at excluding minorities.

The report’s claims include the following statement before the introduction of SIR: “According to reports, government officials, including the Union Home Minister, have publicly framed the deletion of voters’ names as targeting ‘illegal Bangladeshi immigrants’, a rhetoric that confuses legal Indian Muslim nationals with foreigners.”

The report specifically addresses the impact of SIR in West Bengal, pointing out its impact on the Nandigram constituency. “Muslim voters were reportedly disproportionately affected by the SIR process. In one constituency, namely Nandigram, 95% of the removed voters were said to be Muslims, even though Muslims constituted only 25% of the constituency’s voters,” the report said.

The alleged targeted takedowns have been classified as “serious violations of multiple human rights obligations.”

India is a party to several conventions, including the 1992 Declaration on the Rights of Persons Belonging to National or Ethnic, Religious and Linguistic Minorities and the 1979 International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. The letter cites possible violations of the ICCPR’s provisions on non-discrimination and the right to vote, as well as its provisions on minority rights.

The communication asks the Indian government seven questions, including requests for disaggregated data on the religion and ethnicity of excluded voters, details on the appeals process, and information on remedies available to those who have been wrongfully excluded.

Under UN procedures, the communication and the Indian government’s response will be published on the Special Procedures Communication Reporting website 60 days after transmission, or sooner if India responds within that period.