Bharat Ratna awardee and eminent scientist Prof C N R Rao has been summoned for a hearing in Bengaluru after his name was flagged during Karnataka’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, according to a Times of India report.
The notice cites a mismatch between Rao’s name in the 2002 electoral roll and his entry in the current roll. The earlier record lists him as “Prof C N R Rao”, while the current entry reportedly carries an additional “f” and reads “Proff C N R Rao”.
The discrepancy is classified as a self-name mismatch under the SIR procedure. Such a mismatch occurs when the details provided by an elector in the SIR enumeration form, based on the 2002 electoral roll, do not match the corresponding details in the current electoral roll.
Rao, 92, has consequently been asked to appear in person at a hearing venue in Malleshwaram, near the Indian Institute of Science. The report said that only the person named in the notice can attend the hearing under the procedure.
Rao received the Bharat Ratna, India’s highest civilian honour, in 2014. He is the third scientist to receive the award. The case has drawn attention because the discrepancy concerns a minor spelling variation in the electoral roll entry of a nationally recognised public figure.
Economist Amartya Sen was also reportedly flagged for a similar spelling discrepancy during the revision process. The Election Commission of India, however, has said that Sen has been exempted from appearing in person.
The SIR process requires electoral details to be checked against earlier roll records and updated where necessary. In Rao’s case, the reported difference involves the spelling of his name across the 2002 and current electoral rolls. The notice has led to a hearing being scheduled in Bengaluru to establish his identity.
