Question 1

The Election Commission has absolute, unchecked power to purge voters from electoral rolls without notification or judicial interference.

Accepted Answer

The preparation and revision of electoral rolls under Section 21 of the Representation of the People Act, 1950, must adhere to statutory guidelines, natural justice, and can be subjected to judicial oversight to protect the right to vote.

Question 2

A Special Intensive Revision (SIR) is conducted automatically before every state or general election in India.

Accepted Answer

SIR is a discretionary, non-routine exercise invoked by the ECI under Section 21(3) of the RPA, 1950, usually when there are long-standing demographic shifts or suspected mass inaccuracies.

Question 3

Consider the following statements regarding the revision of electoral rolls in India:
1. Under Section 21(3) of the Representation of the People Act, 1950, the Election Commission of India has the power to direct a special revision of the electoral roll at any time for reasons recorded in writing.
2. The right to be registered as a voter is a Fundamental Right guaranteed under Part III of the Constitution of India.
3. The Supreme Court has ruled that the Election Commission's process of revising electoral rolls is entirely immune from judicial review due to the bar under Article 329.
How many of the above statements are correct?

Accepted Answer

(a) Only one — Statement 1 is correct: Section 21(3) of the RPA, 1950 gives the ECI discretionary power to conduct special revisions (like the SIR). Statement 2 is incorrect: The right to vote and be registered as a voter is a Constitutional right (Article 326) and a statutory right (RPA 1950/1951), not a Fundamental Right under Part III. Statement 3 is incorrect: While Article 329 bars judicial interference in the 'electoral process' once elections are notified, the preparation and administrative revision of electoral rolls (under RPA 1950) are subject to judicial review to prevent arbitrariness, as seen in Lakshmi Charan Sen v. A.K.M. Hassan Uzzaman and the 2025 ADR v. ECI case.

Question 4

Match List I (Legal Provision / Case) with List II (Significance):
List I
A. Article 324 of the Constitution
B. Section 21(3) of the RPA, 1950
C. Article 326 of the Constitution
D. Lakshmi Charan Sen Case (1985)

List II
1. Guarantee of Universal Adult Suffrage
2. Vesting of superintendence, direction, and control of elections in the ECI
3. Precedent ensuring electoral roll revisions do not arbitrarily disenfranchise bona fide voters
4. Discretionary power of the ECI to direct special revision of rolls

Select the correct answer using the code given below:

Accepted Answer

(a) A-2, B-4, C-1, D-3 — Article 324 (A) deals with the ECI's power of superintendence and control of elections (2). Section 21(3) of the Representation of the People Act, 1950 (B) grants the ECI the power to conduct special revisions like the SIR (4). Article 326 (C) guarantees universal adult suffrage (1). The Lakshmi Charan Sen v. A.K.M. Hassan Uzzaman case (D) is a landmark Supreme Court judgment that cautioned against electoral roll revisions that could arbitrarily disenfranchise bona fide voters (3).

Question 5

Assertion (A): During the 2025 Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls in Bihar, the Supreme Court intervened to mandate the acceptance of documents like Aadhaar and EPIC for voter inclusion.
Reason (R): The Election Commission of India lacks the constitutional and statutory authority to update or purify electoral rolls without obtaining prior permission from the Supreme Court.

Accepted Answer

(c) A is correct but R is not correct. — Assertion (A) is correct: The Supreme Court did intervene in ADR v. ECI (2025) to ensure Aadhaar, EPIC, and other documents were accepted to prevent mass disenfranchisement. Reason (R) is incorrect: The ECI does not need prior permission from the Supreme Court to update rolls. It possesses the constitutional mandate under Article 324 and statutory authority under Section 21 of the RPA, 1950 to conduct revisions. The Court only intervenes post facto if the process is challenged for being arbitrary or violating constitutional rights.

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