Supreme Court issues notices over 13 crore names deleted across 30 States/UTs
GS2Polity · Governance · IR· Elections, ECI & electoral reforms· Prelims + Mains·
Electoral roll integrity and administrative accountability: a GS2 case study on Universal Adult Franchise.
Why in news
The Supreme Court issued notices to the Election Commission of India (ECI) and the Centre following a plea challenging the alleged unilateral deletion of 13 crore names from electoral rolls across 30 States/UTs.
Background
A bench including CJI Surya Kant, Justice Joymalya Bagchi, and Justice V. Mohana heard a plea by Rakesh Kumar Singh and Shailendra Mani Tripathi. The petition specifically challenges CEC Gyanesh Kumar regarding the deletion of 13 crore names across 30 States and Union Territories.
Facts for Prelims
- Fact13 crore names were allegedly deleted across 30 States/Union Territories
- PostCJI Surya Kant: Presiding judge of the Supreme Court bench on October 5, 2026
Prelims practice question
With reference to the electoral roll deletions mentioned in the news, consider the following statements:
- The plea challenges the unilateral deletion of 13 crore names from the rolls.
- The Supreme Court issued notices to the Election Commission of India and the Centre.
- The alleged deletions occurred across 40 States and Union Territories.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- (a)1 only
- (b)2 only
- (c)3 only
- (d)1 and 2 only
Show answer
Answer: (d) 1 and 2 only — Statements 1 and 2 are correct. Statement 3 is incorrect: The note states the deletions occurred across 30 States/Union Territories.
For Mains
Q. Examine the importance of electoral roll integrity in ensuring the principle of Universal Adult Franchise and the role of the ECI in preventing arbitrary deletions.
Dimensions to cover in your answer
- Procedural transparency: Lack of public notification or grievance redressal mechanisms for deleted voters
- Institutional autonomy: Balancing the ECI's independent powers with judicial oversight on administrative decisions
- Digital exclusion: Risk of systematic disenfranchisement of marginalized groups during automated data cleaning
Keywords: Universal Adult Franchise · Electoral Integrity · Administrative Arbitrariness · Judicial Oversight · Disenfranchisement
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This note is generated automatically from SatyaDheesh's news feed and mapped to the UPSC CSE syllabus. Check facts against the original report or PIB before using them in an answer.