India, Oct. 16 -- The Election Commission of India's (ECI) decision to conduct a special summary revision (SSR) of electoral rolls in 17 states and Union Territories and implement a slew of changes to the procedure fulfil long-pending demands and are welcome. But it is difficult to ignore the fact that the announcements came only after sustained street protests that have roiled the national capital and reached the Supreme Court.

Usually, ECI conducted SSR every year to allow citizens turning 18 an opportunity to enter the rolls. In the past two decades, SSR was held 19 times. Yet, it was not conducted over the last two years as ECI shifted its attention to the controversial special intensive revision (SIR) - where every entry on the elec...