What is the common examiner trap about Polity in UPSC exams?

They may confuse the ECI's power to 'verify' citizenship for electoral rolls with the power to 'determine' citizenship, which lies with the central government. Another trap is swapping the number of states in the second phase (12) with the number from a different context.

What should UPSC aspirants remember about Polity for Prelims?

1. Target this Data: 51 crore voters covered in the second phase of SIR. 2. Target this Nodal Body: Election Commission of India (ECI). 3. Target this Legal Point: Article 324 of the Constitution.

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News 7 of 31

Supreme Court Upholds ECI's SIR Exercise Under Article 324 for 51 Crore Voters, Includes Aadhaar as Proof

Q: Under which Article of the Constitution did the Supreme Court uphold the Election Commission's power to conduct the Special Intensive Revision (SIR)?

Article 324, The Supreme Court judgment specifically stated that the Election Commission of India was empowered under Article 324 of the Constitution to examine citizenship for the limited purpose of verifying inclusion in the electoral roll.

Q: Consider the following statements regarding the Supreme Court's judgment on the Special Intensive Revision (SIR): 1. The Court held that the SIR exercise reverses the burden of proof of citizenship onto the voter. 2. The judgment stated that any decision taken during the SIR is subject to judicial review. 3. The Court directed the Election Commission to publish booth-level reasons for the deletion of voters from the draft roll. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

Both 2 and 3, Statement 1 is incorrect as the Court rejected the petitioners' argument that SIR reversed the burden of proof. Statement 2 is correct as the judgment said SIR decisions are subject to judicial review. Statement 3 is correct as the Court directed the ECI to publish a booth-level list of purged voters with reasons.

Q: According to the news, what was the final tally of eligible voters in Bihar after the Special Intensive Revision (SIR), as shown in the final list?

7.42 crore, The article explicitly states that the final list in Bihar showed the total tally of eligible voters in the State as 7.42 crore. The other options are plausible but incorrect distractors.

Q: What was one of the key judicial interventions made by the Supreme Court during the Bihar SIR hearings to make the exercise more inclusive?

It included Aadhaar as the 12th document in the list of indicative documents for proof., The article mentions that one effective judicial intervention was to include Aadhaar as the 12th in the list of 11 'indicative' documents that voters could file as proof, thereby expanding the options available to citizens.

PolityCORE

Target:UPSC GS-IIMPSCSSC GATeachingPrelims HighMains HighStatic GK Link

27 May 2026

~2 min

Source: The Hindu

Key Data:7.42 crore voters in Bihar65 lakh voters purged12 States/UTs in 2nd phase51 crore voters in 2nd phase

Bodies:Supreme CourtElection Commission of India

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~2 min · Quick mode

What This Article Covers

1.The Supreme Court upheld the constitutional validity of the Election Commission's Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, dismissing petitions that called it a backdoor citizenship screening exercise.

2.The Court ruled that the ECI's power to examine citizenship for verifying inclusion in electoral rolls is backed by Article 324, but the final adjudication remains with the competent authorities under the Citizenship Act.

3.The judgment has a direct impact on the second phase of SIR covering 51 crore voters across 12 States and UTs, and the Court directed greater transparency, including booth-level publication of purged voters.

The Big Picture

Prelims · HighMains · High

The Supreme Court has upheld the Election Commission's power to conduct the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls under Article 324, validating citizenship verification as a step towards free and fair elections. This ruling impacts the ongoing SIR covering 51 crore voters and clarifies the ECI's limited role, where final citizenship determination rests with the central government.

Exam Lens

Quick Exam Facts From News

Total Voters in Bihar SIR7.42 crore

Voters Purged in Bihar DraftNearly 65 lakh

States/UTs in 2nd SIR Phase12

Aadhaar Position in List12th indicative document

1-Minute Revision

›Total Voters in Bihar SIR: 7.42 crore
›Voters Purged in Bihar Draft: Nearly 65 lakh
›Target this Data: 51 crore voters covered in the second phase of SIR.
›Target this Nodal Body: Election Commission of India (ECI).
›Target this Legal Point: Article 324 of the Constitution.

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News Snapshot

⚖️

Constitutional Backing

SC upheld SIR under Article 324, affirming ECI's power for limited citizenship verification to ensure clean electoral rolls.

📊

Scale of Exercise

The second phase of SIR covers 51 crore voters across 12 States and UTs, including West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, and Assam.

🔍

Judicial Safeguards

Court mandated transparency, directing booth-level publication of reasons for deleting nearly 65 lakh voters from Bihar's draft roll.

Detailed Analysis & Strategic Depth

Context / Background

The Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls was initiated by the Election Commission of India (ECI) to identify and remove ineligible voters, including non-citizens. Petitioners, including the Association for Democratic Reforms, challenged it as an arbitrary assumption of power beyond the Representation of the People Act and a covert National Register of Citizens (NRC)-like exercise, shifting the burden of proof onto voters.

Core Analysis & Implications

The Supreme Court's judgment is a significant interpretation of Article 324, which vests the ECI with the superintendence, direction, and control of elections. The Court distinguished between 'verification' for electoral rolls and 'determination' of citizenship, the latter being the domain of the central government under the Citizenship Act. By including Aadhaar as a valid document and mandating transparency, the Court balanced electoral integrity with voter inclusion, setting a precedent for future electoral roll revisions.

Future Outlook / Way Forward

The ruling paves the way for the ECI to continue and potentially expand the SIR exercise nationwide. It establishes a structured regime for voter verification but subjects all SIR decisions to judicial review. Future conflicts may arise over the choice of 'indicative documents', and the ruling emphasizes that the ECI must maintain a calibrated balance to avoid disenfranchisement while cleaning the rolls.

Key Facts at a Glance

Total Voters in Bihar SIR7.42 crore

Voters Purged in Bihar DraftNearly 65 lakh

States/UTs in 2nd SIR Phase12

Aadhaar Position in List12th indicative document

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Practice exam-style questions based on this article.

Q1Static LinkageEasyUPSC, SSC, State PSC

Under which Article of the Constitution did the Supreme Court uphold the Election Commission's power to conduct the Special Intensive Revision (SIR)?

Q2Statement-basedHardUPSC, MPSC

Consider the following statements regarding the Supreme Court's judgment on the Special Intensive Revision (SIR):

1. The Court held that the SIR exercise reverses the burden of proof of citizenship onto the voter.

2. The judgment stated that any decision taken during the SIR is subject to judicial review.

3. The Court directed the Election Commission to publish booth-level reasons for the deletion of voters from the draft roll.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

Q3Data-centricMediumUPSC, SSC, State PSC

According to the news, what was the final tally of eligible voters in Bihar after the Special Intensive Revision (SIR), as shown in the final list?

Q4Application/ImpactMediumUPSC, SSC

What was one of the key judicial interventions made by the Supreme Court during the Bihar SIR hearings to make the exercise more inclusive?

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Supreme Court Upholds ECI's SIR Exercise Under Article 324 for 51 Crore Voters, Includes Aadhaar as Proof

Exam Lens

Quick Exam Facts From News

1-Minute Revision

News Snapshot

Constitutional Backing

Scale of Exercise

Judicial Safeguards

Detailed Analysis & Strategic Depth

Context / Background

Core Analysis & Implications

Future Outlook / Way Forward

Prelims Flashpoints

Key Facts at a Glance