The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Tuesday (January 6, 2026) clarified that Nobel laureate Amartya Sen, who was reportedly summoned by the ECI over discrepancies in the spelling of his name in the voter list, is not required to appear for a hearing.
Since Booth Level Officers (BLOs) have the authority to correct minor errors, including spelling mistakes in voter names, the correction in the economist's case will be handled administratively at the local level, an official said.
TMC leader Abhishek Banerjee claimed earlier in the day that Mr. Sen has been served with an SIR hearing notice by the EC. A family member of Mr. Sen, however, told PTI that they had not yet received any hearing notice from the Commission.
"The confusion over the spelling is purely technical and has no bearing on the voter's eligibility. Our officials have been instructed to resolve such matters at the administrative level to prevent unnecessary controversy," the official said.
The Commission emphasised that minor errors in voters' names do not affect the hearing process or a voter's rights, and authorities have been warned to avoid creating public disputes over such technicalities.
