Why in News?
The Supreme Court of India upheld the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls conducted by the Election Commission of India in Bihar.
What is SIR?
Special Intensive Revision (SIR) is a comprehensive revision of electoral rolls to ensure:
- Accuracy of voter lists
- Removal of duplicate or ineligible entries
- Free and fair elections
Supreme Court’s Key Observations
- Electoral roll purity is essential for democracy.
- EC can verify citizenship status for inclusion/exclusion in voter rolls.
- SIR is linked to Article 324 of the Constitution.
Court Directions
- Names removed from Bihar rolls as “non-citizens” must be referred to the Centre under the Citizenship Act within four weeks.
- Genuine citizens must be restored before future elections.
- Wrongly deleted voters can approach courts.
Constitutional and Legal Basis
- Article 324: Powers of EC to supervise elections
- Representation of the People Act, 1950
- Registration of Electors Rules, 1960
Reasons Supporting SIR
The Court accepted EC’s concerns regarding:
- Migration
- Duplicate entries
- Unreported deaths
- Urbanisation
- Long gap since last intensive revision
Safeguards Mentioned by Court
- Notice before deletion
- Opportunity of hearing
- Aadhaar accepted as indicative document
- Publication of excluded voters list
[2017] Right to vote and to be elected in India is a
A. Fundamental Right
B. Natural Right
C. Constitutional Right
DLegal Right
