SC opposes use of SIR data for non-poll tasks
Supreme Court opposes the use of Special Intensive Revision data for welfare exclusion and calls for a response from the Election Commission of India and the West Bengal government.
- The Supreme Court said Special Intensive Revision data is meant for electoral purposes and cannot be repurposed to decide access to welfare or other civic rights.
- The Supreme Court noted that the Election Commission of India does not have authority to determine citizenship.
- The challenge concerns State orders that linked welfare access and caste-certificate verification to the outcome of Special Intensive Revision deletions.
- The petitioner said only a small fraction of the 34 lakh appeals in West Bengal had been decided and that public guidelines were unclear.
The Supreme Court has questioned the use of Special Intensive Revision (SIR) electoral-roll data for non-electoral purposes. The Court said that SIR data is meant for elections and cannot be repurposed to decide access to welfare or other civic rights.
The Court also noted that the Election Commission of India does not determine citizenship. According to the Court, unless a citizenship reference is made under the Citizenship Act, 1955, a person’s status cannot be conclusively altered for other purposes.
The Supreme Court case raises questions on the legal purpose of Special Intensive Revision, the Election Commission of India’s constitutional role under Article 324, the citizenship question under the Citizenship Act, 1955, and the due-process concerns that arise when electoral deletion affects welfare access.
