SC Directs ECI to Publish Searchable List of 65 Lakh Omitted Voters

Quick Summary

• The Supreme Court of India directed the Election Commission of India (ECI) to release a searchable online list of approximately 65 lakh names omitted from Bihar’s electoral draft roll after a special intensive revision exercise.
• Booth-wise physical lists with reasons for omission will also be displayed at public places,such as Panchayat offices,block development locations,and booth-level officer notice boards.
• The SC bench emphasized that voters have a fundamental right to know why their names have been removed and called for “widest publicity” of this information across various media platforms.Objections can be raised by aggrieved individuals using Aadhaar as proof of identity and residence.
• ECI is instructed to publish the lists on District Electoral Officer websites by August 19, with publicity efforts including radio (AIR), TV (Doordarshan), newspapers, and social media channels.
• Justice Surya Kant stated that voter rights should not rely on political parties or local officials but must follow fair procedures to prevent disenfranchisement caused by improper roll revisions.

Indian Opinion Analysis
The Supreme Court’s directive underscores accountability in ensuring free and fair elections while safeguarding voter inclusion-a cornerstone of democracy. Publishing the omitted voter list addresses concerns about transparency in electoral processes, especially within politically sensitive states like Bihar during election preparations. The court’s emphasis on providing wide publicity reflects the necessity to engage citizens actively regarding their voting rights while preventing reliance on third-party intermediaries like political parties or booth-level officials-which could lead to misuse or bias.Additionally,factoring Aadhaar into objections raises potential debates about its role in electoral proofs without infringing citizenship guarantees.

As Indian democracy grows amidst diverse opinions over technology use like EVMs and sensitive political contexts highlighted by ECI’s counsel claims against opposition parties’ challenges, judicial interventions such as this serve as crucial checks for maintaining procedural fairness in elections.

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