Bharat Ratna Awardee C.N.R. Rao Gets SIR Notice Over Name Spelling Mismatch

BENGALURU:
Bharat Ratna awardee and renowned scientist Professor C.N.R. Rao, 92, has reportedly received a notice as part of the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Karnataka over a discrepancy in the spelling of his name.

The notice cites “self-name mismatch” as the reason. Rao’s name is reportedly recorded as “Prof CNR Rao” in an earlier electoral roll, while the current roll lists it as “Proff CNR Rao”, with an additional “f” in the professional title.

The discrepancy has led election officials to seek verification of the veteran scientist’s identity. Rao has reportedly been asked to appear for a hearing in Malleshwaram, near the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), to clarify the issue.

Under the SIR exercise, a “self-name mismatch” refers to a discrepancy between details cited from an earlier electoral roll while filling the enumeration form and particulars appearing in the current electoral roll.

The development has drawn attention given Rao’s stature as one of India’s most distinguished scientists. Born in Bengaluru in 1934, he is a globally recognised solid-state and materials chemist. He founded the Solid State and Structural Chemistry Unit at IISc in 1976 and served as the institute’s Director from 1984 to 1994.

Rao has authored more than 1,600 research papers and received numerous international honours. He was awarded the Bharat Ratna in 2013 for his contribution to science.

The notice comes a day after Karnataka Chief Electoral Officer clarified a similar SIR-related issue involving Padma Shri awardee Harekala Hajabba. The District Election Officer, Mangaluru, said a mismatch had been found in Hajabba’s electoral records and that officials collected documents from him to correct the name. The issue has since been resolved.

Hajabba had earlier been served a notice asking him to appear with documents at Harekala Gram Panchayat on September 11. However, officials subsequently withdrew the notice and assured him that the discrepancy would be corrected.