Kolkata, Dec 22 (IANS) The Election Commission of India (ECI) has made it clear that academic qualification certificates issued by individual educational institutions, including schools and colleges, will not be recognised as valid identity documents or age proof during the hearing sessions on the claims and objections to the draft voters’ list in West Bengal, which will start this week.
The ECI has made it clear that academic qualification certificates issued by registered education boards or education councils, or universities, will be honoured as valid identity documents or age proofs in the hearing sessions, insiders from the office of the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) have said.
An academic qualification certificate is one of the 12 documents specified by the ECI that will have to be furnished by “unmapped voters” to get their names retained in the voters’ list. “Unmapped voters” are those who were unable to show their links with the voters’ list of 2002, the last time when Special Intensive Revision (SIR) was conducted in West Bengal, either through “self-mapping” or through “progeny mapping.”
“Self-mapping” voters are those who have their own names on the 2002 voters’ list. On the other hand, “progeny mapping” voters are those who have their parents’ names in the 2002 list.
The CEO’s office insiders said the ECI has been alerted that during the hearing sessions, there might be attempts to pass on academic qualification certificates issued by individual educational institutions, including schools and colleges, as certificates issued by registered education boards or councils or universities.
“While the chances of manipulation with academic qualification certificates issued by registered education boards or councils, or universities are negligible. The same manipulations are quite high in case these certificates are issued by individual educational institutions, including schools and colleges. 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,” a CEO’s office insider said.
The current SIR exercise in the state started on November 4. The draft voters’ list was published on December 16. The three-stage SIR exercise will end with the publication of the final voters’ list on February 14 next year. Soon after that, the ECI will announce the polling dates for the Assembly elections scheduled next year.
–IANS
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