The Election Commission of India (ECI) has denied reports that Bharat Ratna awardee and eminent scientist Professor C.N.R. Rao was served a notice over a “self-name mismatch” during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Karnataka.
The clarification came after reports claimed that Rao had been asked to appear for a hearing because of a discrepancy in his name between the 2002 electoral roll and the current voter list. According to those reports, his name appeared as “Prof. C.N.R. Rao” in the older roll, while the current roll reportedly mentioned it as “Proff. C.N.R. Rao”, with an additional “f”.
However, the ECI clarified that this information is “factually incorrect”.
According to the Commission, Rao’s name in the 2002 electoral roll actually appears as “Rama S/O H. Nagesh”, while the current electoral roll lists him as “Proff. C.N.R. Rao S/O Nagesh Rav. H.” The ECI also clarified that it has not served any notice to Rao or his family so far, taking into account his stature and contribution to the country.
ECI rejects ‘extra f’ claim
The clarification effectively rules out the earlier claim that Rao was asked to appear before election officials because the word “Prof” had been incorrectly recorded as “Proff”.
Reports had said that the 92-year-old scientist was facing a “self-name mismatch” and that a hearing had been scheduled in Bengaluru’s Malleshwaram area, near the Indian Institute of Science (IISc).
The latest ECI statement, however, makes it clear that no such notice has been issued to Rao or his family at present. It also specifically rejected the claim that the alleged notice was linked to an extra “f” in his name.
C.N.R. Rao’s contribution to science
Prof. C.N.R. Rao has made major contributions to solid-state and structural chemistry and is considered one of the most decorated scientists in his field. His work has covered areas including solid-state materials, nanomaterials and structural chemistry, helping open new areas of research in modern chemistry.
He founded the Solid State and Structural Chemistry Unit at IISc in 1976 and later served as the institute’s director from 1984 to 1994. He also founded the Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research (JNCASR) in Jakkur and served as its founding president.
His contribution was not limited to scientific research. Rao also played an important role in shaping India’s science and research policies. Over the years, he has received several major national and international honours.
Bharat Ratna among several major honours
Rao has received some of the country’s highest civilian honours and several major international awards. He was awarded the Bharat Ratna, India’s highest civilian honour, and became the third scientist to receive the award.
His other honours include the Padma Vibhushan, Padma Shri and Karnataka Ratna, besides numerous other awards and recognitions.
Earlier reports had raised questions
The reports about the alleged SIR notice had attracted attention because of Rao’s age and stature as a Bharat Ratna awardee. A representative from his office had earlier said that they had not received any physical notice.
“It appears to have been put online on the ECI website. I am not clear about that one; I have not seen it,” the representative had said. The representative had also said that, apart from the alleged additional letter in “Proff”, there did not appear to be any other issue with the electoral records.
“According to the office records and email, there is no notice as of now. A physical letter also has not reached us,” the representative said.
However, following the ECI’s latest clarification, those earlier reports cannot be treated as an accurate account of the current position. The Commission has specifically denied issuing such a notice to Rao or his family and has rejected the claim about the alleged “extra f” mismatch.
SIR exercise in Karnataka
The clarification comes amid Karnataka’s ongoing SIR exercise, under which electoral records are being checked against older rolls, and voters are being flagged in cases involving discrepancies or where their names cannot be mapped.
The Chief Electoral Officer’s office had earlier said that more than 43.81 lakh notices had been generated as part of the exercise, while around 7.31 lakh notices had been delivered to electors.
The notices relate to categories including “no mapping” and “anomalies”, according to officials.
Other prominent personalities have also faced scrutiny during the electoral roll revision exercise. Padma Shri awardee and social worker Harekala Hajabba was among those whose name was reportedly flagged over discrepancies, though the Karnataka Chief Electoral Officer later clarified that the issue in his case had been resolved.
In Rao’s case, however, the ECI has now made its position clear: no SIR notice has been issued to the Bharat Ratna scientist or his family so far, and reports claiming that he was served a notice over an extra “f” in his name are factually incorrect, according to the Commission.
