Former Navy Chief Asked To Confirm Identity Under SIR In Goa

Former Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Arun Prakash (retired) received a rude shock on January 11, 2026, Sunday, when the Election Commission of India (ECI) sent him a notice to establish his identity as part of the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR).

According to reports, Prakash, who has been living in Goa since he retired, has said that SIR forms must be revised if they do not contain the required information.

Prakash wrote in an X post, “May I point out to @ECIVEEP that (a) if the SIR forms are not evoking reqd info they should be revised; (b) the BLO visited us 3 times and could have asked for additional info; (c) we are an 82/78 yr old couple and have been asked to appear on 2 different dates 18 km away!!”

As the notice has sparked online debate, Prakash went on to write on X that, he “neither needs, nor have ever asked for any special privileges since retirement 20 yrs ago.” He added that he and his “had filled the SIR forms as reqd (sic.) and were pleased to see our names figures in the Goa Draft Electoral Roll 2026 on the EC website. We will, however, comply with EC notice.”

 According to reports, the voter list updated in 2002 does not contain Prakash’s details meaning that he falls under the “unmapped” category of citizens. “This is what is happening in most such cases. Admiral Prakash falls in the unmapped category,” South Goa District Returning Officer Egna Cleetus told PTI on Sunday.

A collector for South Goa, Cleetus has said that she will go through the Navy veteran’s enumeration form. The authorities will reach out to him, she added.

Meanwhile, the ECI notice has generated some online debate about the procedure and information available. Both netizens and armed forces officials have pointed out that Prakash’s PPO/ Veteran card should be enough to identify him for the ECI purposes. 

Lt Col T S Anand (retd) wrote on X, “I believe Bugs in software may have caused, but if such a notice does come every citizen who has things in order can just go and show it, nothing wrong. So in case of Adm Arun Prakash Sir his PPO/Veteran Card is proof enough and for protocol the SIR team can go to his home.”