Deep rot: On the Election Commission of India’s functioning during its SIR

Published 2026-09-24 · Updated 2026-09-24 · 3 min · 525 words

UPSC CSE Context

Why in News

investigation reveals internal dissent within ECI over Special Intensive Revision (SIR) deletions and centralised roll changes.

Syllabus Connection

Polity and Governance: Election Commission, electoral rolls, constitutional provisions, judicial review.

Exam Relevance

Important for UPSC CSE Mains GS Paper 2 on functioning of constitutional bodies and electoral integrity; Prelims on ECI powers and recent judgments.

Core Issue

ECI's SIR process vitiated by unauthorised deletions and centralisation.

Key Development

Election Commissioners recorded 14 objections to decisions taken without their knowledge during SIR.

Stakeholders

• Election Commission of India
• Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar
• Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi
• Supreme Court
• Electors in West Bengal and Delhi

Static Knowledge

High-Value Background

• Article 324 vests superintendence, direction and control of elections in the ECI.
• Electoral Registration Officers are statutory authorities for voters' eligibility under the Representation of the People Act, 1950.

Concepts in Context

• Special Intensive Revision (SIR) is a targeted electoral roll revision exercise.
• Universal adult franchise under Article 326 is the constitutional guarantee affected by wrongful deletions.

Dynamic Analysis

Constitutional/Legal

• Deletion before verification reverses burden of proof, violating universal adult franchise.
• Centralised database changes override statutory ERO authority, undermining legal process.
• Justice Datta's opinion on the 2023 Act highlights erosion of institutional independence.

Governance

• Internal dissent within ECI indicates breakdown of collective decision-making.
• Lack of transparency in roll modifications erodes public trust in electoral administration.
• Centralisation of electoral database without audit creates scope for manipulation.
• Field officials' limited access to ERONet portal hampers accountability.

Federalism

• Disproportionate deletions in West Bengal suggest partisan use of electoral machinery.
• State-level electoral officers were bypassed, weakening federal balance in election management.
• Pending appeals and tribunal interventions reflect state-level legal contestation.

Judicial Review

• Court's failure to halt deletions despite evidence of irregularities weakens constitutional checks.
• Need for judicial intervention to audit roll database and restore deleted voters.
• Justice Datta's 'perception test' argument may influence future appointments.

Prelims Takeaways

• Anoop Baranwal case (2023) mandated CJI in selection panel for CEC/ECs.

Mains Value Addition

Arguments

• Electoral roll integrity is foundational to democratic legitimacy; flawed SIR undermines free and fair elections.
• Centralisation of electoral data without statutory safeguards threatens federal principles.
• Internal dissent within ECI signals institutional crisis requiring systemic reforms.
• Judicial deference to executive in electoral matters weakens constitutional checks.

Examples

• West Bengal: 27 lakh deletions, 16.1 lakh appeals for removal of voters included by judicial officers.
• Delhi: 24 of 70 seats have fewer electors than actual voters in previous election.

Data Points

• 60 lakh electors flagged for logical discrepancies in West Bengal.
• Over 90% of appeals against deletion decided so far restored electors.

Counterpoints

• ECI may argue SIR is necessary to clean electoral rolls and prevent duplicate entries.
• Centralised database could improve efficiency if properly audited.
• Government may claim legal authority under existing rules for roll revision.

Way Forward

• Immediate independent audit of electoral roll database and ERONet portal.
• Restore deleted voters after verification and halt further deletions pending audit.
• Ensure statutory ERO authority is respected in all roll modifications.
• Reform ECI selection process to restore independence as per Anoop Baranwal spirit.
• Enhance transparency by publishing all SIR decisions and dissent notes.

Primary/reference source: Editorial Analysis