SC Hears Bihar SIR Row: Petitioner Cites Report on Women’s Disenfranchisement

Speedy Summary:

• The Supreme Court Bench is hearing a plea against the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise conducted by the Election Commission of India (ECI) in Bihar ahead of elections.
• Over 65 lakh voter names were deleted from the draft electoral roll. The ECI claims deletions were reviewed,but political parties allege voter disenfranchisement.
• Voters whose names are excluded can file claims, and public notices explicitly mentioned that Aadhaar cards can be used for verification during submissions.
• The ECI stated it fully complied with publishing excluded voters’ lists per the Supreme Court’s order. Lists are accessible in polling stations, panchayat offices, BDO offices, and online. Reasons for exclusions have been included.
• A petition highlights concerns of inequitable deletions disproportionately affecting women, married individuals, temporary migrants, senior citizens, and people with disabilities.

– Analysis from The Hindu reveals more women than men-especially younger women-were removed under “Permanently Migrated,” contradicting Census data suggesting higher male outward migration.

Indian Opinion Analysis:

The ongoing scrutiny over Bihar’s SIR marks an important juncture for electoral transparency in India. While the ECI asserts its adherence to procedural requirements outlined by the Supreme Court through accessible claim-filing mechanisms and clear reasons for exclusion publication, concerns raised about demographic bias warrant closer inspection.

Disproportionate voter deletions based on gender or socioeconomic status undermine public trust in democratic systems.For instance, findings indicating that younger women have been disproportionately excluded challenge both equity principles and data integrity when juxtaposed with Census records showing opposite migration trends.

In a state with high stakes for upcoming polls amidst longstanding debates on civic inclusion versus systemic malfunctions like inadvertent voter disenfranchisement signals potential broader implications-not just localized grievances surrounding internal governance-but setting judicial precedents too wider impacts elevariging forward balancing operational independence people’s rights efficiency-tab .

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