Special Intensive Revision (SIR) Upheld to Ensure Purity of Electoral Rolls

Key facts

• The Supreme Court (SC) upheld the power of the Election Commission of India (ECI) to conduct Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls to ensure purity and free and fair elections.
• A three-judge bench headed by Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant ruled that the SIR exercise is traceable to Section 21(3) of the Representation of the People (RP) Act read with Article 324 of the Constitution.
• The ECI issued the order and communication to conduct the SIR of electoral rolls in Bihar and other states on 24 June 2025.
• The SC held that the SIR process includes staged procedures for deletions, opportunities for claims and objections, and safeguards to prevent arbitrary exclusion.
• The court upheld the documentation framework of the ECI, including the use of Aadhaar cards as per the order dated 08 September 2025, for maintaining the integrity of the electoral roll.