Background
The ECI issued a press note on 26 September 2026 after two election commissioners, Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi, recorded fourteen objections to decisions taken under Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. The note tries to manage perception by acknowledging only administrative grievances.
Key Developments
- All agenda items will be circulated before meetings and minutes released afterwards.
- Foreign trips of officers now need prior approval from the ECI.
- The flawed implementation of the SIR is implicitly admitted.
- EROs are instructed to launch a “special drive” to enrol anyone whose name was omitted.
Important Facts
The SIR has already removed more than 13 crore names from draft rolls across Phase‑2 states such as Bihar and West Bengal. In West Bengal, 16.1 lakh appeals were filed to restore voters that judicial officers had previously added. Over nine in ten of those appeals were eventually granted, but only after the election. In Delhi, one‑third of constituencies show draft rolls smaller than the number of voters who cast ballots in the 2025 assembly election.
The Supreme Court delayed a decision on the constitutionality of SIR for months. When it finally ruled on 27 May 2026, the judgment treated SIR as a permissible “exceptional, targeted revision” rather than a state‑wide sweep, allowing the practice to continue.
Exam Relevance
Understanding the ECI’s autonomy, the legal limits of electoral roll revisions, and the role of the judiciary are essential for GS Paper II (Polity). The episode also illustrates how administrative decisions can affect democratic participation, a topic in GS Paper I (Indian Society & Governance). The reference to the ADM Jabalpur case reminds aspirants of historic checks on executive power.
Way Forward
Experts suggest that the ECI should be reconstituted by a selection committee that does not give the ruling government a dominant majority. Such a reform would strengthen institutional democracy and prevent unilateral changes to the electoral roll. Until then, vigilance by civil society, political parties, and the judiciary remains crucial to safeguard the right to vote.