Bharat Ratna Scientist CNR Rao issued SIR notice over name mismatch, EC says will visit their house

PTC News Desk: Renowned scientist CNR Rao, whose research has contributed to major advances in complex areas of chemistry, has reportedly received a notice under Karnataka’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.

The issue is related to a minor difference in his name. In older voter records, his name is listed as ‘Prof CNR Rao’, while in the latest record it appears as ‘Proff CNR Rao’, with an additional ‘f’.

However, a representative from Rao’s office said they have not received any notice so far. The representative said the notice appears to have been uploaded on the Election Commission of India (ECI) website but has not been seen by the office.

According to the representative, there is no other discrepancy apart from the extra letter in the word ‘Proff’. The office has not received a physical copy of the notice either.

The notice reportedly asks Rao to appear for a hearing in Malleshwaram, Bengaluru, near the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), to resolve the issue, news agency IANS reported.

Other eminent personalities get similar notice

CNR Rao is a recipient of the Bharat Ratna, India’s highest civilian award. Several other well-known personalities have also reportedly received similar notices in states where the SIR exercise has been conducted.

The Karnataka Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) recently clarified that a notice issued to Padma Shri awardee and social worker Harekala Hajabba was also related to a mismatch in his name in electoral records. The issue has since been resolved, according to the CEO.

The notice had surprised many people in Mangaluru, where Hajabba is widely known for his social work. He built a school in his village using money he earned by selling oranges in Mangaluru, an effort that eventually earned him the Padma Shri.