In a move aimed at enhancing transparency and voter confidence, the Supreme Court has directed the Election Commission of India (ECI) to upload district-wise data of approximately 65 lakh voters in Bihar whose names were omitted from the draft electoral rolls during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR).
A bench comprising Justices Surya Kant and Joymalya Bagchi issued the interim order on Thursday, instructing the ECI to publish the details by August 19. The data must include reasons for omission—such as death, permanent migration, duplication, or inability to trace—and be searchable via EPIC (Electors Photo Identity Card) numbers on the websites of the Chief Electoral Officer and District Electoral Officers.
The court also mandated that the ECI widely publicize the uploaded list through newspapers, electronic media, social platforms, and other communication channels. Additionally, excluded individuals submitting claims for inclusion may furnish their Aadhaar cards as supporting documents.
The directive came while hearing petitions challenging the ECI’s June 26 order initiating SIR in Bihar. The Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) had sought constituency and booth-level data on omitted voters and those whose enumeration forms were rejected by Booth Level Officers (BLOs).
In response, the ECI argued that the Representation of the People Act, 1950, and the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960, do not require such disclosures. The Commission maintained that any eligible voter whose name is missing can submit Form 6 during the claims and objections period (August 1–September 1), which implicitly confirms they are not deceased, migrated, or untraceable.
The ECI clarified that omission from the draft roll does not equate to deletion from the electoral rolls, but rather reflects whether a filled enumeration form was received during the revision phase.