Navy ex-chief asked to establish identity under SIR; officials say they will reach out to him

Panaji, Jan 11 (PTI) The Election Commission of India has issued a notice to former chief of naval staff Admiral Arun Prakash (retd), asking him to attend a meeting to establish his identity as part of the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.

Admiral Prakash, who has been settled in Goa since his retirement, said SIR forms should be revised if they are not “evoking” the required information. A senior official, however, said that his details do not figure in the voter list last updated in 2002 and that he falls under the “unmapped” category.

Some X users, however, wondered what more the SIR team needs since the ex-Navy chief’s PPO (Pension Payment Order) and life certificate are already available in government databases.

“This is what is happening in most such cases. Admiral Prakash falls in the unmapped category,” South Goa District Returning Officer Egna Cleetus told PTI on Sunday.

Cleetus, who is also the collector of South Goa, said that on Monday, she will go through the Navy veteran’s enumeration form. The authorities will reach out to him, she said.

During the ongoing SIR, Admiral Prakash, a Vir Chakra Award awardee for his role in the India-Pakistan War of 1971, has been asked to remain present before the electoral officer to establish his identity after generating the “hearing notice”.

As the notice has sparked a discussion online, Admiral Prakash wrote on X, “I neither need, nor have ever asked for any special privileges since retirement 20 yrs ago. My wife and I had filled the SIR forms as reqd (required) and were pleased to see our names figures in the Goa Draft Electoral Roll 2026 on the EC website. We will, however, comply with EC notice.” He wrote in another post, “May I point out to @ECIVEEP that (a) if the SIR forms are not evoking reqd info they should be revised; (b) the BLO visited us 3 times and could have asked for additional info; (c) we are an 82/78 yr old couple and have been asked to appear on 2 different dates 18 km away!!” Responding to the post, Lt Col T S Anand (retd) wrote, “I believe Bugs in software may have caused, but if such a notice does come every citizen who has things in order can just go and show it, nothing wrong. So in case of Adm Arun Prakash Sir his PPO/Veteran Card is proof enough and for protocol the SIR team can go to his home.” X user @LancerFlying, who identifies himself as Op Vijay and Op Meghdoot veteran, said, “His, YOURS and mine, PPO and life certificate is already on the Govt database. What more is needed by the SIR team than punch a few keys on the keyboard and access proof? Commonsense is missing, that is what is wrong!!” PTI RPS NR