What happened: Delhi High Court directs the Election Commission on teacher burden during SIR
The Delhi High Court ordered the Election Commission of India to ensure that schoolteachers assigned to the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Delhi are not subjected to an “unbearable” burden. The order focuses on the practical impact created when election roll revision tasks rely on schoolteachers.
The Delhi High Court’s direction followed a petition filed by advocates Rajesh Kumar Gogna and Ashok Agarwal. The petition argued that mass deployment of teachers for Special Intensive Revision (SIR) harms students’ education in Delhi.
Background and earlier position: SIR uses schoolteachers and raises RTE compliance concerns
In Delhi, Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls involves deploying schoolteachers to support the election-roll revision effort. Advocates argued that large-scale teacher involvement in election work can disrupt classroom teaching and affect students’ education.
In its ruling, the Delhi High Court reiterated a constraint on election administration. The Election Commission of India must exercise its powers in a manner consistent with the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (RTE) Act, 2009.
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