SC closes Tamil Nadu rolls revision case after Bihar verdict
Supreme Court closes Tamil Nadu special intensive revision challenge; issues uniform policy directions on premature release of elderly and terminally ill prisoners
- The Supreme Court closed 13 petitions challenging the special intensive revision of electoral rolls in Tamil Nadu after relying on its earlier Bihar judgment.
- The Election Commission of India’s power to conduct special intensive revision was upheld in the Supreme Court’s May 27 Bihar verdict.
- The Supreme Court directed all States and Union Territories to frame a uniform policy within three months for the premature release of elderly and terminally ill prisoners.
What happened
The Supreme Court closed proceedings on 13 petitions filed by political parties and leaders challenging the special intensive revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Tamil Nadu. A bench led by Chief Justice Surya Kant said the case did not require further adjudication after the Court’s earlier judgment on the Bihar SIR process.
In the Bihar matter, decided on May 27, the Supreme Court upheld the Election Commission of India’s power to conduct the intensive exercise and said the process strengthens the constitutional mandate for fair elections and supports free and fair elections.
UPSC can frame questions on the Election Commission of India’s power under the constitutional framework, the judicial review of electoral roll revisions, Article 21-based prison reform, and cooperative federalism in implementation by States and Union Territories.
