EC withholds details of SIR software, citing trade secrets and IPR

The Election Commission of India has declined to disclose the name of the software used to identify errors in electoral rolls. A Telangana-based social activist had filed a Right to Information request seeking details of the software and its algorithms. The Commission cited trade secrets and intellectual property rights as grounds for withholding the information. It also stated that no new software was developed for the exercise. The refusal has drawn attention to transparency in how electoral roll revisions are carried out.