Supreme Court Says EC’s Special Intensive Revision Exercise Is Valid

The Supreme Court on Wednesday upheld the Election Commission of India’s (ECI) authority to conduct Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, ruling that the exercise is “valid and non-arbitrary” and does not violate any statutory or constitutional provisions. The verdict came in a batch of petitions challenging the legality of the voter list revision process carried out in Bihar and other states.

A bench comprising Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V. M. Pancholi observed that the Election Commission acted within its powers under the Constitution and the Representation of the People Act while undertaking the SIR exercise. The court held that the process was aimed at ensuring the “purity of electoral rolls” and strengthening free and fair elections in the country.

In its judgment, the apex court noted that the SIR framework includes multiple safeguards, including staged procedures for deletions and opportunities for citizens to raise claims and objections. It said these built-in mechanisms ensure that the process remains fair, transparent, and non-arbitrary in nature. The court further emphasized that the Election Commission’s actions were based on legitimate objectives related to maintaining electoral integrity.

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The petitions before the court had challenged the ECI’s order dated June 24, 2025, which directed the conduct of SIR in Bihar and several other states. The petitioners, including civil society organisations such as the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) and the People’s Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL), along with several political leaders, had argued that the exercise violated constitutional provisions including Articles 14, 19, 21, 325, and 326.

The Supreme Court had earlier refused to stay the publication of the draft electoral rolls prepared under the SIR exercise in Bihar, allowing the process to continue. The Election Commission, in its defence, maintained that the revision process was a legitimate and routine mechanism aimed at improving the accuracy and credibility of voter lists across states.

With this ruling, the Supreme Court has effectively cleared the Election Commission’s authority to carry out intensive revisions of electoral rolls, reinforcing its role in ensuring clean and updated voter databases for upcoming elections.

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