SIR row: Supreme Court defers hearing as Election Commission affirms robust, lawful procedures

The Supreme Court on Tuesday deferred the hearing on a batch of petitions regarding the Election Commission of India's (ECI) Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise, granting petitioners 10 days to respond to a comprehensive counter-affidavit filed by the poll panel.

A bench headed by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant granted time to senior advocate Vikas Singh, representing petitioner Rakesh Kumar Singh, to examine the detailed submissions made by the election authority before listing the matter for mid-November after the Diwali vacation.

In its counter-affidavit, the ECI presented a unified front, with Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi confirming that all key decisions related to the SIR exercise were made unanimously and in strict compliance with the law. The poll body stressed that established administrative procedures were followed at every stage to ensure the absolute integrity of the nation's voter rolls.

Addressing procedural details, the ECI clarified that voter enrolment forms remain fully compliant with statutory rules. To make the process seamless and convenient for citizens, the commission noted that booth-level officers are actively visiting households to gather required verification documents directly from voters, ensuring minimal disruption and eliminating unnecessary formal hearings.

To reinforce data security and operational accuracy, the ECI highlighted that an expert committee including specialists from the Indian Institutes of Technology (IIT) and the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) has been deployed to verify the robust compliance and integrity of the ECINet electoral database.

Senior advocate Maninder Singh, representing the ECI, and Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing the Union government, submitted to the bench that the commission's institutional framework remains sound and fully protected under constitutional safeguards. Chief Justice Kant assured that the court would examine all relevant materials when the matter resumes on 17 November.