Bharat Ratna Scientist Prof CNR Rao's Name Mismatch Row Takes New Turn; Official Rejects SIR Notice Claims

Karnataka SIR: Professor CNR Rao, one of India's most renowned scientists, has been asked to appear for a hearing to prove his identity after a spelling mismatch in his name was found during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the voter list in Karnataka. Rao has been served a notice due to a discrepancy in his name. The 2002 voter list shows his name as "Prof CNR Rao," while the current list shows it as "Proff CNR Rao," with an extra "f."

ALSO READ: Raghav Chadha's Booth Had 746 Voters In Draft SIR Roll; How Did He Become Voter No 747? EC Reacts To AAP Allegations

GBA Issues Clarifications

Soon after the news about the notice broke out, the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) issued a statement, saying no notice was issued to Rao. GBA Chief Commissioner M Maheshwar Rao on Wednesday said that no notice was issued to the Bharat Ratna awardee in connection with the ongoing SIR of the electoral roll, as appeared in a section of the media.

In a statement, the GBA said there was a discrepancy in the name of Rao but instead of issuing any notice, the Booth Level Officer recommended including his name.

"No notice has been issued to the Hon'ble Bharat Ratna (awardee) Prof C N (R) Rao in connection with the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral rolls in the Malleshwaram Assembly Constituency," the GBA said, quoting Maheshwar Rao, who is also the District Election Officer of Bengaluru Urban.

The GBA said as part of the SIR, Enumeration Forms were respectfully delivered in person to Rao and his family members at their residence by the State SVEEP Nodal Officer, along with the Commissioner of the Bengaluru West City Corporation.

"A discrepancy was noticed in the name of the Hon'ble person in the electoral roll. In view of this, the Booth Level Officer (BLO), without issuing any notice, has recommended inclusion of his name in the final electoral roll, considering him to be a respected person. Accordingly, necessary action has been initiated to include his name in the final electoral roll," the GBA said. 

What Is Self-Name Mismatch?

Self-name mismatch refers to the discrepancy that occurs when a voter included in the 2002 voter list uses his/her details from the same list while filling the SIR enumeration form, but the details do not match the current voter list.

ALSO READ: Karnataka SIR Riddled With Errors: 61-Year-Old Listed Dead, Man Served Notice Over Less-Than-9-Month Birth Gap With Twin

Born in Bengaluru, Rao, a 92-year-old scientist, has made significant contributions to the country's science sector. He was awarded the Bharat Ratna, the country's highest civilian honour, in 2014, becoming the third scientist to receive the honour.

Amartya Sen Faced Similar SIR Issue

A similar spelling error was found in the case of economist and Nobel laureate Amartya Sen in January this year. However, later, the Election Commission of India exempted him from appearing in person. Election officials visited Sen's residence at Bolpur in Birbhum district, West Bengal and collected the requisite documents in connection with the SIR of electoral rolls in the state.

Sen was in the USA at that time, where he was a Professor of Economics and Philosophy at Harvard University. "The officials from the Election Commission collected Prof Sen's Aadhaar card, voter identity card number, and the death certificate of his mother, Amita Sen. They also took the letter in which Prof Sen authorised his cousin Shantabhanu to appear for the hearing," one of Sen's family members said.

(With Jagran.com/PTI inputs)