ECI bars use of school, college certificates as valid ID in Bengal voters’ list hearings

Kolkata: The Election Commission of India (ECI) has clarified that academic certificates issued by individual educational institutions, such as schools or colleges, will not be accepted as valid identity or age proof during hearing sessions on claims and objections to the draft voters’ list in West Bengal.

According to officials in the office of the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), only certificates issued by recognised education boards, councils, or universities will be considered valid for identity or age verification during the hearings, which begin this week.

An academic qualification certificate is among the 12 documents specified by the ECI for “unmapped voters” seeking to retain their names on the electoral roll. “Unmapped voters” refer to individuals unable to establish a link with the 2002 voters’ list, the last time the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise was conducted, either through “self-mapping” or “progeny mapping.”

While “self-mapping” applies to voters whose own names appeared in the 2002 list, “progeny mapping” covers those whose parents were registered then.

Sources in the CEO’s office said that the poll panel has been alerted to possible misuse of academic certificates during hearings, as certificates from individual educational institutions carry a higher risk of forgery compared to those issued by registered boards or universities.

“So, the ECI had made it clear that academic qualification certificates issued by registered education boards or councils, or universities, will be honoured as valid identity documents or age proof,” an official said.

The ongoing SIR exercise in West Bengal began on November 4, with the draft voters’ list published on December 16. The three-phase process will conclude with the release of the final electoral roll on February 14, 2026, after which the ECI is expected to announce polling dates for the Assembly elections.

(Inputs from IANS)