🏛️ What’s this all about?
- The Election Commission of India (ECI) launched a Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of Bihar’s electoral rolls starting June 24, targeting around 4 crore voters (40%) who joined the rolls after 2003.
- Petitioners argue this is impractical and unfair, especially given the tight 30-day timeframe and monsoon uncertainties.
- Crucially, Aadhaar and standard voter ID cards are not accepted as proof of citizenship in this exercise.
🔍 Today’s Supreme Court Hearing (July 10, 2025)
- The Supreme Court is hearing petitions brought by political parties (RJD, Congress, TMC), civil groups (ADR, PUCL), and activists (Yogendra Yadav) represented by senior advocates like Kapil Sibal and Gopal Sankaranarayanan
- Petitioners warn of mass disenfranchisement affecting voters who’ve been on the rolls for decades yet may lack new, stringent documents.
- The ECI defends the move as legal and necessary to uphold electoral integrity, but the Supreme Court has pressed them on why common IDs like Aadhaar aren’t enough.
👥 What the Bench Asked Today
- Justices Dhulia and Bagchi questioned ECI counsel Rakesh Dwivedi: Why exclude Aadhaar, which is used under the RP Act? The ECI responded that Aadhaar is not proof of citizenship but admitted that determining citizenship is a central government/MHA matter.
- The court is now weighing whether the ECI’s timing, documentation standards, and deadlines are constitutionally valid and non-discriminatory.
What Could Happen Next
- The court may issue a stay or extension on the SIR process.
- It could also clarify which documents are legally acceptable for citizenship verification.
- A ruling might mandate inclusion of Aadhaar and voter ID to prevent disenfranchisement, especially of marginalized groups.
This ruling doesn’t just affect Bihar—it may set a precedent for how voter lists are managed nationwide before elections. Watch this space as the Supreme Court deliberates on fairness, citizenship proof, and voter rights.
The petitioners have urged the top court to seek an explanation from the Election Commission for the “ill-timed and hasty” conduct of the SIR exercise in Bihar
A Supreme Court Bench of Justices Sudhanshu Dhulia and Joymalya Bagchi is hearing a batch of petitions challenging the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral roll underway in poll-bound Bihar. Over 10 petitions filed by Opposition leaders, activists, NGOs and lawyers have been listed before the Bench, which had agreed to urgently list the case on July 10.
The petitions have argued that an interim order from the apex court staying the June 24 notification announcing the SIR was necessary as crores of voters, drawn from the poor and marginalised sections of the society, were put on a tight leash to produce documents to prove their domicile or face the prospect of disenfranchisement.Follow LIVE updates here:
Key Updates
- Justice Bagchi questions the timing of the SIR exercise
- Disallowing Aadhaar risks mass disenfranchisement, Sibal tells SC
- Concerns of the petitioners are premature, ECI tells SC
- SC says it will question the ECI on its decision to exclude Aadhaar from the list of accepted documents
- Bihar is just the first stage; SIR will eventually be rolled out across the country: Sankaranarayanan
- SIR exercise in Bihar was carried out in a slapdash manner, petitioners tell SC
Case posted to July 28The Bench posts the case to July 28. Three questions to focus on: the powers of the ECI to undertake the exercise. the procedure and manner. timing, which is very short, considering the fact that Bihar polls is due in November, states the order.We are of the considered view the matter needs hearing. July 28. Counter by ECI should be filed by one week, on or before July 21 and rejoinder before July 28.
No interim stayThe petitioners are not pressing for an interim stay at this stage as in any case the draft electoral roll is scheduled for publication in August and the court hearing is on July 28. The Bench rises.
Consider Aadhaar, voter ’ID, and ration cards as valid proofs Rakesh Dwivedi has pointed out that the documents list for verification of voters is 11, but the list is not exhaustive. Therefore, in our view, since the list is not exhaustive, in our opinion, it would be in the interest of justice for ECI to consider Aadhaar, EPIC issued by the ECI itself, and ration cards. This itself would satisfy most of the petitioners, the order states. Mr. Dwivedi objects. But Justice Dhulia says it is for ECI to consider accepting these three documents. Mr. Dwivedi insists in court that ECI only “consider” accepting Aadhaar, EPIC, and ration cards. Says it should be left to the ECI’s discretion.
- Judge hints at continuance of SIRJustice Dhulia suggests posting the case on July 28. Meanwhile, the process of SIR will go on. The list of documents is not exhaustive. Aadhaar card, voter card will be accepted. You (ECI) can do your work, but do it in accordance with the mandate of law. The statute allows Aadhaar, he says.
- Postpone the case to August, says ECI, process will be over by then, say petitionersRakesh Dwivedi says the court could list the case on August 2, by that time the draft list would be out. “If a crore people have been left out, the court could intervene then.” he says. Abhishek Singhvi objects saying if the process is allowed to go on, it will be presented later in court as an ‘irreversible scrambled egg’.Gopal Subramanium says there is no reason to go back to the 2003 electoral roll when a summary revision happened in January 2025. The roll after the January 2025 revision must be treated as the draft list.
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- Judge casts doubt on ECI timelinesJustice Dhulia says the court has serious doubts about the ECI’s timelines.He notes how census itself takes a year and the ECI deadlines are just 30 days. Rakesh Dwivedi, appearing for ECI says the SC must not stall the process now merely on the basis of doubts. ECI should be allowed to prove its credentials by able to complete the SIR in August. He suggests the case can be listed in August.
- In the past decade 70 lakh have migrated from Bihar: ECIThe Election Commision of India explaining the reason behind Special Intensive Revision (SIR) says: “In the past decade 70 lakh have migrated from Bihary. This itself makes a strong case for SIR.”We are doing a house to house survey. About a lakh officers, volunteers and representatives of political parties are doing it. it is a participative exercise. All this has been suppressed in the petitions. Political parties authorised to get at least 50 enumeration forms signed everyday. If somebody is not home, three visits would be made. the burden is on us to get the enumeration forms and upload them on the ECI Net, Mr. Dwivedi says.
- SIR exercise is about identity, why leave out Aadhaar? SCBoth Justices Bagchi and Dhulia say the entire exercise of SIR is about identity. You want to know whether this person is A or B. The Aadhaar is the primary document of identity, they commentNone of the 11 documents you want for enumeration are tell-tale ones for citizenship. They are all for identity. And you still stridently oppose the inclusion the Aadhaar among them, wonders Justice Bagchi
- Will someone included in electoral roll in the summary revision be part of SIR?This is the question posed by Justice Bagchi. “If someone included in the electoral roll in the summary revision in January 2025 would automatically be part of the electoral roll following SIR even if he or she omits to file the enumeration form,” he asks. Section 21 A requires the ECI to hear a person before omission from electoral roll. Is it possible to link/complete this exercise involving crores to an elections due in November.
- What abour caste certificate?Justice Dhulia says if I want a caste certificate, I take my Aadhaar. A document considered basic for getting other documents is not part of the 11 documents. Caste certificate is one of the documents among the 11, but not Aadhaar. Mr. Dwivedi responds Aadhaar is not the only document shown to get a caste certificate.
- Aadhaar not a proof of citizenship: ECIAadhaar is issued to non-citizens who are ordinarily resident. Aadhaar Act itself says it is not a proof of citizenship, Mr. Dwivedi appearing for Election Commission of India says.
- Rakesh Dwivedi continues his argumentSenior advocate Rakesh Dwivedi says the list of 11 documents for SIR is non-exhaustive. Aadhaar is a document of authentication of identity. I (ECI) cannot exalt the status of the Aadhaar. He argues even in Representation of Peoples Act, Aadhaar is only a document of identity and not citizenship. Already 60% or 5.5 crore enumerations have been filled and half of this have been uploaded. First time in history we have created ECI Net where the documents would be uploaded. The drive need not be repeated, except for adding names, he says.
- The hearing resumes post-lunchSenior advocate Kapil Sibal intervenes to submit that under the SIR exercise, low-level ECI officials such as Booth Level Officers (BLOs) are effectively tasked with determining citizenship. He contends that such a power rests exclusively with the Union government.
- Hearing to resume at 2 pmThe Bench rises for lunch. The hearing will resume at 2pm.
- Due process will be followed; no one will be disenfranchised without a hearing: ECIJustice Bagchi questions the timing of the SIR exercise, asking why it is being conducted ahead of an election scheduled for November.In response, Mr. Dwivedi explains that the SIR is intended to be a nationwide exercise. He assures the Court that due process will be followed, stating that no one will be removed from the electoral roll without notice and an opportunity to be heard.
- SIR exercise aimed at questioning citizenship: Justice DhuliaMr. Dwivedi argues that if the ECI is not empowered to revise electoral rolls, then an alternative authority would need to be identified. He maintains that under Article 324 of the Constitution, the ECI has the power to “superintend, direct, and control” elections.In response, Justice Dhulia remarks that the SIR exercise appears to be neither a summary nor a special revision as defined under the statute, but rather an exercise aimed at questioning citizenship.To this, Mr. Dwivedi responds that there must be a presumption in the ECI’s favour—that the exercise is not being carried out with any premeditated intent.
- SIR exercise is a ploy for citizenship screening: SinghviMr. Singhvi criticises the exclusion of Aadhaar from the list of accepted documents, pointing out that it is a statutorily recognised form of identification. He notes that this is the first time Aadhaar has been disregarded, despite the government’s sustained push for its adoption.He further contends that the SIR exercise is being used as a proxy for conducting a citizenship screening.
- ECI has no jurisdiction to determine questions of citizenship, petitioners tell SCMr. Singhvi cites the Supreme Court’s ruling in Lal Babu Hussein v. Electoral Registration Officer (1995), which held that once a person is included in the electoral roll, it is presumed they have satisfied the authorities regarding their citizenship and completed the necessary procedures. He argues that the Bihar SIR wrongly compels such individuals to once again furnish proof of citizenship.He further contends that the ECI has no jurisdiction to determine questions of citizenship.
- Justice Bagchi questions the timing of the SIR exerciseJustice Bagchi questions the ECI on why the SIR exercise has been made election-focused, taking place just months before the polls. He asks whether the process could not have been conducted independently of the election timeline. Senior advocate A.M. Singhvi, appearing for the petitioners, argues that the disenfranchisement of voters undermines the level playing field in elections. Justice Dhulia notes that the Court is in agreement on that point.
- July 10, 2025 12:26Disallowing Aadhaar risks mass disenfranchisement, Sibal tells SCSenior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for the petitioners, refers to Section 19 of the Representation of the People Act, 1950, which lays down the conditions for voter registration. He notes that anyone who is 18 years or older on the qualifying date and is ordinarily resident in a constituency is entitled to be registered in the electoral roll. It is for the authorities, he argues, to prove that a person is not a citizen, not the other way around.Mr. Sibal further points out that according to the State government’s own survey, only 14.1% of Bihar’s population possesses a matriculation certificate, and just 2% have a passport. In contrast, 87% of the population holds an Aadhaar card.
- Concerns of the petitioners are premature, ECI tells SCSenior advocate Rakesh Dwivedi begins arguments on behalf of the ECI. He submits that the petitioners’ concerns are premature and urges the Court to wait until the final electoral roll is published. Justice Dhulia, however, tells the ECI that this should have been done earlier. He notes that once the electoral roll is prepared and elections are immediately notified, courts are unlikely to intervene.
- SIR exercise not uniform; Judges, bureaucrats, and journalists exempted: SankaranarayananMr. Sankaranarayanan points out that judges, bureaucrats, and journalists have been given certain leeway under the SIR exercise. This, he says, is absurd, as the law treats every voter equally.However, Justice Dhulia intervenes, suggesting that the exception may have been made to save time. He asks Mr. Sankaranarayanan to focus instead on arguments about the exclusion of Aadhaar from the list of accepted documents.
- SC says it will question the ECI on its decision to exclude Aadhaar from the list of accepted documentsJustice Bagchi asks whether the SIR exercise was conducted under Section 21(3) of the Representation of the People Act, 1950.Mr. Sankaranarayanan responds in the affirmative, but points out that while the ECI is empowered to order a special revision “at any time, for reasons to be recorded,” it must still follow the procedure laid down under Section 21(1) and the relevant rules. He further notes that Aadhaar is a prescribed document under the law for such revisions, yet it was not considered during the SIR exercise.Justice Dhulia remarks that the Court will question the ECI on its decision to exclude Aadhaar from the list of accepted documents.
- Bihar is just the first stage; SIR will eventually be rolled out across the country: SankaranarayananBihar is just the first stage, SIR will eventually be rolled out across the country, says Mr. Sankaranarayanan. “The ECI has stated that the schedule for other states will be announced later. This effectively shifts the burden onto individuals to prove their citizenship”, he argues further.
- cut-off date is arbitrary; SIR exercise risks disenfranchising citizens: SankaranarayananMr. Sankaranarayanan further argues that once a citizen’s name is on the electoral roll, the burden of proving otherwise lies with the state. He contends that the SIR exercise has no legal basis.At this point, Justice Dhulia intervenes, observing that the ECI’s actions are backed by constitutional provisions.In response, Mr. Sankaranarayanan maintains that the exercise is arbitrary, discriminatory, and devoid of safeguards, with the potential to disenfranchise citizens. He also challenges the Election Commission’s choice of 2003 as the cut-off date, calling it “artificial” and arbitrary.
- SIR exercise in Bihar was carried out in a slapdash manner, petitioners tell SCAt the outset of the hearing, the Bench informs senior advocate K.K. Venugopal, appearing for the Election Commission of India (ECI), that it has a few questions for the poll body.Senior advocate Gopal Sankaranarayanan begins arguments for the petitioners. He provides background on the revision of electoral rolls, stating that the process of intensive revision was carried out in a slapdash manner in Bihar. The summary intensive revision was completed in just 30 days, he notes, and only 11 documents were considered. Shockingly, both Aadhaar and voter ID cards were ignored, he adds.
- Bench headed by Justice Sudhanshu Dhulia begins hearing petitionsA Supreme Court Bench comprising Justices Sudhanshu Dhulia and Joymalya Bagchi begins hearing petitions against the Special Intensive Revision of the electoral roll underway in poll-bound Bihar.
- BJP questions Opposition’s motive behind ‘Bihar bandh’ callThe Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Wednesday (July 9, 2025) questioned the Opposition’s motive behind its call for a “Bihar bandh” on the issue of revision of the voter list in the State, even as the matter was scheduled for a hearing in the Supreme Court on Thursday (July 10, 2025).“These people must either trust the judiciary or stick to the streets. When the Supreme Court is scheduled to hear the matter tomorrow, then what is the purpose of taking to the streets today — is it an attempt to pressure the judiciary?” asked senior BJP MP and former Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad, while speaking with the media.Read the story hereBJP questions Opposition’s motive behind ‘Bihar bandh’ callBJP questions Opposition’s Bihar bandh motive ahead of Supreme Court hearing on voter list revision.
- “What happened in one year that EC needs to revise voters list?” Prashant KishorJan Suraaj chief Prashant Kishor questioned the Election Commission’s decision to revise the voter list in Bihar ahead of the assembly election when it was prepared just a year ago, during the 2024 Lok Sabha election.Speaking with ANI, Prashant Kishor said, “There are many people opposing the voter list. Just a year ago, the Lok Sabha elections were held. The Election Commission itself prepared the voter list. The Prime Minister’s election took place. What has happened in one year that the entire list needs revision?”Demanding that the list prepared in the Lok Sabha election to be used during the assembly election, Mr. Kishor also questioned whether by revising the list NDA alliance is accepting that the “infiltrators” have been living in Bihar under their tenure.-ANI
- Five of 11 documents sought do not show date or place of birthAt least five out of the 11 key documents sought by the Election Commission of India (ECI) for Bihar’s voters’ list revision do not indicate the applicant’s place or date of birth — one of the pre-requisites for inclusion in the electoral rolls.Aadhaar, voter identity cards issued by the Election Commission of India (Electors Photo Identity Card) or PAN cards have not been included in the list of 11 indicative documents that the applicants can produce. However, these excluded documents are often the ones submitted by people to procure any of the 11 documents required for inclusion during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) in Bihar.Read the story hereBihar Special Intensive Revision: Five of 11 documents sought do not show date or place of birthBihar voters face challenges as key documents for voter list revision lack date and place of birth.
- As Bihar parties sharpen attack on EC over voters list, poll panel fact checks leadersAs opposition parties sharpened their attack on the Election Commission over its intensive revision of electoral rolls in Bihar, the poll authority on Wednesday fact-checked some state leaders, rejecting as “baseless” their claims about the exercise.Responding to a social media post by RJD MP Manoj Kumar Jha that the EC did not give time for a meeting over special intensive revision, the poll panel said he is not an authorised representative of his party to seek time.The EC said party presidents were recently asked to share the names of leaders for interacting with the poll body on various issues. But Jha’s name was not shared by RJD as its authorised representative.For the past two days, the EC has been using the hashtag ‘ECIFactCheck’ to counter what it claims is misinformation being spread over the revision exercise.-PTI
- Over 45% enumeration forms collected, says Election Commission of IndiaThe Election Commission of India (ECI) on Tuesday (July 8, 2025) said that the collection of Enumeration Forms for the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of Electoral Rolls in Bihar has reached nearly the halfway mark, with 3,70,77,077 out of 7,89,69,844 registered voters having submitted their forms.The last date for submission of Enumeration Forms is July 25.“The SIR in Bihar is progressing well with 3,70,77,077 Enumeration Forms, which is 46.95% of the total of 7,89,69,844 (nearly 7.90 crore) electors in Bihar, collected as of 6 p.m. on the 14th day since the issuance of SIR instructions on June 24, 2025,” the ECI said in a statement.Read the story hereBihar Special Intensive Revision: Over 45% enumeration forms collected, says Election Commission of IndiaElection Commission of India reports progress in Bihar’s electoral roll revision, nearing halfway mark with 3.7 crore forms collected.
- Centre will consider and fulfil Bihar’s demands at the earliest, says Kamlesh PaswanThe Centre would release funds for the construction of rural roads in Bihar as soon as the State government sent its proposal and carried out a survey, the Union Minister of State for Rural Development Kamlesh Paswan said on Wednesday (July 9, 2025).The survey for the construction of 45,000 km of rural roads under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY), estimated at a cost of ₹76,000 crore, was currently underway in the fourth phase of the project, Mr. Paswan said, adding that the PMGSY is a continuing process being carried out in phases.Read the story hereCentre will consider and fulfil Bihar’s demands at the earliest, says Kamlesh PaswanUnion Minister announces funds for Bihar rural roads construction upon survey completion, emphasizing development projects and future prospects.
- What the ‘neutral clean-up’ of Bihar’s poll rolls really isOn the surface, the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar appears to be a routine update. But in practice, it is anything but. Nearly 4.74 crore voters — close to 60% of Bihar’s electorate — are now required to prove their eligibility through a new set of documents. The threshold for inclusion has shifted dramatically.Under the SIR guidelines, any voter not listed in the 2003 rolls must now provide documentary proof of citizenship. This includes birth certificate, school-leaving documents, land deeds, or official citizenship papers, which are records that are difficult to produce even in urban centres, let alone in the rural stretches of Bihar.Crucially, many of these documents, particularly birth certificate, are the responsibility of the state to issue. However, the state has historically failed to do so at scale, placing the burden on individuals to obtain and provide them.Read the story hereWhat the ‘neutral clean-up’ of Bihar’s poll rolls really isThe hurried and opaque nature of Bihar’s electoral roll revision poses a serious threat not only to the integrity of the electoral system but also to India’s constitutional values
- Electoral Registration Officers empowered to decide voter inclusion in absence of documents, says Election Commission of IndiaAs controversy rages over the few documents considered valid for voter registration during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar, a key figure that has emerged is that of the Electoral Registration Officer (ERO). The discretionary powers being given to these officials of the State government could taint the SIR process, warn Opposition leaders.For a voter who does not have the required documents, it is the ERO who is empowered to take a call on their inclusion or exclusion in the voters list, according to the latest Election Commission manual on electoral rolls, issued in March 2023, as well as senior officials who spoke to The Hindu.The ERO’s verdict is to be based on field verification, reports from Booth Level Officers (BLOs), and the testimonials of village heads and families.Read the story here
