Indian Students Recalibrate Overseas Medical Choices as New Destinations Gain Ground
3 min readNew DelhiMay 29, 2026 04:14 AM IST According to the EC, there are 20.91 lakh electors spread across 2,996 booths in Manipur. As per the schedule, electors will have till June 28 to fill the enumeration forms. THE Election Commission is considering deploying special Assistant Electoral Registration Officers (AEROs) for the internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Manipur, where thousands have been displaced since the ethnic clashes broke out in May 2023, for the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, The Indian Express has learnt. The SIR exercise, which involves Booth-Level Officers (BLOs) going house-to-house to have all registered electors fill enumeration forms in order to stay on the rolls, is set to start in Manipur on Saturday, as per the EC’s schedule announced earlier this month.After that, the Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) and AEROs are supposed to issue notices to those electors who have not been able to establish their eligibility by giving the details of themselves or their parents. Sources said the office of Manipur Chief Electoral Officer has submitted a proposal to the EC for appointing special AEROs for the IDPs, similar to the deployment of designated Assistant Returning Officers for the conduct of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections in the state. ExplainedWhy special AEROs for Manipur?Under The Representation of the People Act, 1950, Electoral Registration Officers and AEROs are appointed for maintaining the electoral rolls of Assembly constituencies. In the case of Manipur, where thousands of electors have been displaced from their home constituencies, the EC is considering appointing special AEROs to decide on eligibility of the electors staying in camps. A total of 18,620 IDPs were eligible to vote in the 2024 elections. The EC had set up 94 special polling stations for the IDPs in relief camps. As of now, the total number of IDPs has gone down from 62,000 in 2023 to around 57,000, according to government records. Sources said arrangements are likely to be made for around 14,000-15,000 IDPs who are eligible for participation in the SIR exercise. The EC recently announced the schedule of the third phase of SIR, which started in June last year. The third phase will cover 16 states and three Union Territories over the next few months. The exercise is set to start with house-to-house visits by BLOs in Odisha, Mizoram, Sikkim and Manipur from Saturday. According to the EC, there are 20.91 lakh electors spread across 2,996 booths in Manipur. As per the schedule, electors will have till June 28 to fill the enumeration forms. © The Indian Express Pvt Ltd Damini Nath is an Assistant Editor with the national bureau of The Indian Express. She covers the housing and urban affairs and Election Commission beats. She has 11 years of experience as a reporter and sub-editor. Before joining The Indian Express in 2022, she was a reporter with The Hindu’s national bureau covering culture, social justice, housing and urban affairs and the Election Commission. Expertise Key Coverage Areas: Damini Nath currently specializes in reporting on two crucial beats: Housing and Urban Affairs: Providing in-depth analysis and reporting on India's urban development, policy, and housing issues. Election Commission (EC): Offering authoritative coverage of electoral processes, policies, and the functioning of India's constitutional body responsible for conducting elections. Professional Background: Her extensive experience includes roles as a reporter and sub-editor, demonstrating a comprehensive understanding of the journalistic process from fieldwork to final production. Previous Role: Before joining The Indian Express in 2022, she served as a dedicated reporter with The Hindu’s national bureau, where her reporting portfolio included: Culture Social Justice Housing and Urban Affairs The Election Commission beat (a consistent area of focus). Trustworthiness Damini Nath's decade-plus career at two of
