14/08/2025
Big Breaking News: SC Orders Transparency in Bihar Voter Roll Revision, Accepts Aadhaar for Reinstatement.
New Delhi, Aug 14: The Supreme Court on Thursday directed the Election Commission of India (ECI) to publish the names of around 65 lakh voters deleted from Bihar’s draft electoral rolls during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR), along with specific reasons for their exclusion such as death, migration, or duplication.
The Court ordered that the information be made accessible both online—through the Chief Electoral Officer’s and district electoral officers’ websites—and offline via vernacular newspapers, TV, radio, and booth-wise lists displayed at panchayat and block offices. An EPIC-based search facility must also be provided.
SC Orders on Bihar’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) – Key Points
1. Publication of Deleted Voter List
Around 65 lakh names deleted from Bihar’s draft electoral rolls must be published district-wise.
Each name should be accompanied by the specific reason for deletion (death, migration, duplication, etc.).
2. Multiple Access Channels for the Public
Online: Lists to be available on the websites of the Chief Electoral Officer, Bihar and all District Electoral Officers.
Offline: Information to be:
Published in vernacular newspapers with wide circulation
Broadcast on TV and radio
Displayed booth-wise at panchayat and block development offices
3. Searchable by EPIC Number
An EPIC-based search tool must be provided so voters can easily check their deletion status.
4. Layman-Friendly Public Notices
ECI to issue simple, easy-to-understand public notices explaining how voters can check their names and reasons for deletion.
5. Aadhaar Accepted for Reinstatement Claims
Aadhaar card to be accepted as valid proof for applying to reinstate a deleted name.
This inclusion reverses its earlier omission from the accepted ID list.
6. Expanded List of ID Documents
The acceptable documents list for voter inclusion has been expanded from 7 to 11.
7. ECI’s Authority Upheld
Court reaffirmed that when and how to conduct the SIR is the exclusive domain of the ECI, under Article 324 of the Constitution and Section 21(3) of the RPA, 1950.
8. Characterisation of SIR
Supreme Court called the process “voter-friendly, not voter-exclusionary”, aimed at cleaning rolls while providing ample opportunities for genuine voters to be reinstated.
In a major relief to voters seeking reinstatement, the apex court directed that Aadhaar be accepted as a valid identity proof, in addition to other documents, reversing its earlier omission from the list.
Reaffirming the ECI’s constitutional authority, the Court said the timing and process of SIR lie exclusively within the poll body’s domain, and described the exercise as “voter-friendly, not voter-exclusionary” owing to the expansion of accepted ID documents from seven to eleven.
