Discuss the constitutional and legal issues involved in large-scale revision of electoral rolls, and its implications for the right to vote and electoral inclusion.

Q. Discuss the constitutional and legal issues involved in large-scale revision of electoral rolls, and its implications for the right to vote and electoral inclusion. (15 marks, 250-350 words)

An accurate electoral roll is the foundation of universal adult franchise under Article 326. The Election Commission's Special Intensive Revision (SIR), first rolled out in Bihar covering about 8 crore electors through house-to-house enumeration [3], and upheld by the Supreme Court in Association for Democratic Reforms v. ECI (2026) [1], illustrates how roll purification advances electoral integrity yet unsettles voter inclusion.

Constitutional issues - Source of power: the Court traced SIR to Article 324 read with Part XV, holding the plenary superintendence power is not a "dead letter" but must serve free and fair elections [1]. - Federal and rights concerns: verification touching citizenship risks overlap with Union domain and with Article 14 (arbitrariness) and Article 21 (due process) if documentation demands are onerous [1]. - Judicial review: the Court applied the proportionality test — legitimate aim, rational nexus, and adequate procedural safeguards — extending rights jurisprudence to election administration [1].

Legal issues - Section 21(3), RPA 1950 empowers a special revision "for any constituency or part of a constituency" for recorded reasons; petitioners read this as permitting only targeted revision, while the Court accepted a State-wide exercise [2]. - Evidentiary standards: the Court clarified that Aadhaar is not proof of citizenship but, under Section 23(4), must be accepted as a document of identity [1].

Implications for the right to vote and inclusion - Deletion without effective notice can disenfranchise migrants, the poor and undocumented citizens, for whom the appeal route under Sections 24–25, RPA 1950 is difficult to access [2]. - Conversely, deduplication and removal of shifted or deceased entries protect the value of each vote [3]. - Inclusion is better served by facilitative reforms — such as the four qualifying dates introduced by the Election Laws (Amendment) Act, 2021, enabling young citizens to enrol sooner [4].

Roll revision is therefore constitutionally legitimate but administratively demanding. Transparent publication of deletions, reasoned orders, doorstep assistance for vulnerable groups and time-bound appeals can reconcile purity with inclusion — ensuring the exercise strengthens, rather than narrows, the promise of universal franchise.

(~330 words)

Sources: 1. Association for Democratic Reforms v. Election Commission of India, 2026 INSC 564 (Supreme Court of India, 27 May 2026) — Article 324 and Part XV basis, proportionality test, Aadhaar as identity document 2. The Representation of the People Act, 1950 (Act No. 43 of 1950), India Code — Section 21(3) special revision power; Sections 23–25 inclusion and appeals 3. PIB, "ECI to begin Special Intensive Revision of Electoral Rolls in Bihar" — scale of Bihar SIR, enumeration process and stated objectives 4. PRS Legislative Research, The Election Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2021 — four qualifying dates for enrolment