A notice from the Election Commission (EC) to Nobel laureate Amartya Sen, based on an alleged discrepancy in the age difference with his late mother, has ignited a controversy. The notice, served at his Santiniketan home, Pratichi, claims the age gap is less than 15 years, a claim strongly contested by Sen's representatives who assert the actual difference is nearly two decades.
The Core of the Discrepancy
According to the 2025 draft electoral roll (SIR), Amartya Sen's age is listed as 92. The EC's system flagged a logical inconsistency because, on the 2002 voter list, his mother Amita Sen's age was recorded as 88. The automated portal calculated this as a difference of less than 15 years, triggering a standard notice for clarification.
However, simple mathematics reveals the error. Twenty-three years ago, in 2002, Amartya Sen was 69 years old. The age difference between the 88-year-old mother and her 69-year-old son at that time was 19 years. In reality, the actual age gap between them is approximately 19-and-a-half years.
Allegations of Deliberate Harassment
Gitikantha Majumdar, the caretaker of Pratichi who handles Sen's official matters, received the notice. He expressed bafflement and frustration at the EC's action. "The SIR notice states that there is less than 15 years' age difference between Amartya Kumar Sen and his mother. But the actual age difference is 19-and-a-half years," Majumdar stated. He labeled the notice, which required a response by January 16, as "a deliberate act of harassment."
Since Sen is currently in the USA, arrangements were made for election officials to visit Pratichi on January 16. A representative was to present documents proving the correct ages. Prior to that, on Wednesday, EC officials including ERO Tania Roy and BLO Sombrata Mukherjee visited the house and handed the notice to Sen's cousin, Shantabhanu Sen, who lives next door.
Shantabhanu Sen echoed the sentiment of targeted action, saying, "They said there were some errors in the information. This summons was meant to harass Amartya Sen."
Election Commission's Official Stance
The office of the Chief Electoral Officer of West Bengal issued a statement on social media platform X to explain the procedural aspect. It clarified that Sen's enumeration form was received by his family member, who linked him to his mother Amita Sen.
"Since the age difference between the elector and his mother was less than 15 years, a logical discrepancy was flagged by the ERO Net Portal," the statement read. It emphasized that the notice was generated automatically, in line with standard procedure for all such discrepancy cases. The statement also noted that because Sen is above 85 years of age, officials personally visited his residence to complete the formalities.
Amartya Sen is registered as an overseas elector (Prabasi Bharatiya). His details appear in Part 274, Serial 169 of the 2026 SIR draft list. He became a voter and cast his ballot at the Visva Bharati Staff Club polling station during the 2014 Lok Sabha elections.
The incident highlights the tensions between automated electoral checks and real-world data, raising questions about the process surrounding a prominent intellectual's voter registration.
