UPSC Prelims Practice Questions — Exclusion from poll rolls in Bengal does not remove voting rights forever: SC
Q1. The lowering of the minimum voting age in India from 21 years to 18 years was brought about by which one of the following constitutional amendments?
- A. The Constitution (44th Amendment) Act, 1978
- B. The Constitution (52nd Amendment) Act, 1985
- C. The Constitution (61st Amendment) Act, 1988
- D. The Constitution (42nd Amendment) Act, 1976
Q2. Universal adult suffrage under Article 326 is operationalised through electoral rolls whose preparation is constitutionally placed under the superintendence, direction and control of which authority?
- A. The Office of the Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India
- B. The Election Commission of India
- C. The Ministry of Home Affairs
- D. The Comptroller and Auditor General of India
Q3. With reference to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, consider the following statements:
1. It is a special revision of rolls that the Election Commission may direct for reasons to be recorded in writing.
2. It involves a door-to-door intensive re-verification of electors.
3. The 2026 SIR in West Bengal was ordered ahead of the State Assembly election.
4. SIR replaces the Electoral Registration Officer with a Census officer for roll preparation.
Which of the statements given above are correctly identified?
- It is a special revision of rolls that the Election Commission may direct for reasons to be recorded in writing.
- It involves a door-to-door intensive re-verification of electors.
- The 2026 SIR in West Bengal was ordered ahead of the State Assembly election.
- SIR replaces the Electoral Registration Officer with a Census officer for roll preparation.
- A. 1 and 2 only
- B. 1, 2 and 3
- C. 2, 3 and 4
- D. 1, 2, 3 and 4
Q4. The 2026 Special Intensive Revision in West Bengal covered electoral rolls across exactly how many districts of the State?
Q5. With reference to the appellate tribunals constituted for the West Bengal SIR, consider the following statements:
1. They were constituted by an Election Commission notification dated 20 March 2026.
2. They are presided over by former Chief Justices and judges of High Courts.
3. Nineteen such tribunals were set up.
4. They are presided over by sitting judges of the Supreme Court of India.
Which of the statements given above is/are NOT correct?
- They were constituted by an Election Commission notification dated 20 March 2026.
- They are presided over by former Chief Justices and judges of High Courts.
- Nineteen such tribunals were set up.
- They are presided over by sitting judges of the Supreme Court of India.
- A. 1 and 3
- B. 2 only
- C. 4 only
- D. 3 and 4
Q6. One of the 19 West Bengal SIR appellate tribunals is headed by which former Chief Justice of the Calcutta High Court?
- A. T. S. Sivagnanam
- B. Prakash Shrivastava
- C. Thottathil B. Radhakrishnan
- D. Debasish Kar Gupta
Q7. With reference to the Supreme Court's April 2026 proceedings on the West Bengal electoral roll exclusions, consider the following statements:
1. The matter was heard by a three-judge Bench headed by Chief Justice Surya Kant.
2. The Court held that exclusion during SIR permanently extinguishes the Article 326 right to vote.
3. The Court directed that appellate tribunals be given access to the recorded reasons and remarks of the adjudicating officers.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- The matter was heard by a three-judge Bench headed by Chief Justice Surya Kant.
- The Court held that exclusion during SIR permanently extinguishes the Article 326 right to vote.
- The Court directed that appellate tribunals be given access to the recorded reasons and remarks of the adjudicating officers.
- A. 1 only
- B. 1 and 3 only
- C. 2 and 3 only
- D. 1, 2 and 3
Q8. The appellate tribunals to hear appeals of voters excluded during the West Bengal SIR were constituted by which authority?
- A. The Calcutta High Court
- B. The Supreme Court of India
- C. The Election Commission of India
- D. The West Bengal State Election Commission
Q9. Under the Representation of the People Act, 1950, an appeal against an order of the Electoral Registration Officer relating to inclusion, exclusion or correction of an entry in the roll lies under which section?
- A. Section 22
- B. Section 23
- C. Section 24
- D. Section 25
Q10. Consider the following pairs of constitutional articles and their subject matter:
1. Article 324 — superintendence, direction and control of elections vested in the Election Commission.
2. Article 326 — elections to the Lok Sabha and State Assemblies on the basis of adult suffrage.
3. Article 329 — bar on interference by courts in electoral matters except by election petition.
4. Article 280 — establishment of the Election Commission of India.
Which of the pairs given above is/are correctly matched?
- Article 324 — superintendence, direction and control of elections vested in the Election Commission.
- Article 326 — elections to the Lok Sabha and State Assemblies on the basis of adult suffrage.
- Article 329 — bar on interference by courts in electoral matters except by election petition.
- Article 280 — establishment of the Election Commission of India.
- A. 1, 2 and 3
- B. 2 and 4 only
- C. 1, 3 and 4
- D. 1, 2, 3 and 4
Q11. The principle 'audi alteram partem', reflected in the direction that adjudicating officers' recorded reasons be shared with excluded voters, refers to which one of the following?
- A. No one shall be a judge in his own cause
- B. No one should be condemned unheard; the other side must be heard
- C. Justice delayed is justice denied
- D. Every administrative order must be a reasoned, speaking order
Q12. Approximately how many claims were under adjudication in the West Bengal SIR as noted by the Supreme Court in April 2026?
- A. About 34 lakh
- B. About 47 lakh
- C. About 60 lakh
- D. About 19 lakh