UPSC Prelims Practice Questions — Kapil Sibal seeks SC intervention over ‘bulk SIR deletions’

Q1. House-to-house enumeration under Phase-II of the Special Intensive Revision, ordered by the Election Commission in October 2025, was extended to how many Assembly Constituencies?

  • A. 1,543 Assembly Constituencies spread over 321 districts
  • B. 1,643 Assembly Constituencies spread over 321 districts
  • C. 1,843 Assembly Constituencies spread over 321 districts
  • D. 2,043 Assembly Constituencies spread over 321 districts

Q2. Consider the following statements comparing the successive rounds of the Election Commission's Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls: 1. The Bihar SIR of 2025 adopted 1 July 2025 as its qualifying date, and the electorate fell from about 7.89 crore before the exercise to about 7.42 crore in the final roll. 2. In Phase-II of the SIR the enumeration period ran from 4 November 2025 to 4 December 2025, with the final electoral roll to be published on 7 February 2026. 3. Phase-III of the SIR, ordered in May 2026, was confined to the National Capital Territory of Delhi and covered no State. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. The Bihar SIR of 2025 adopted 1 July 2025 as its qualifying date, and the electorate fell from about 7.89 crore before the exercise to about 7.42 crore in the final roll.
  2. In Phase-II of the SIR the enumeration period ran from 4 November 2025 to 4 December 2025, with the final electoral roll to be published on 7 February 2026.
  3. Phase-III of the SIR, ordered in May 2026, was confined to the National Capital Territory of Delhi and covered no State.
  • A. 1 and 2 only
  • B. 2 and 3 only
  • C. 1 and 3 only
  • D. 1, 2 and 3

Q3. Under the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960, consider the following statutory forms and the purpose assigned to each: 1. Form 6 — application for inclusion of the name of a person not already enrolled in the roll of a constituency. 2. Form 7 — objection seeking deletion of a name already entered in the electoral roll. 3. Form 8 — application for correction of an entry, shifting of residence within a constituency, or replacement of the elector photo identity card. 4. Form 8A — appeal against the order of an Electoral Registration Officer refusing inclusion of a name. Which of the above is/are correctly identified?

  1. Form 6 — application for inclusion of the name of a person not already enrolled in the roll of a constituency.
  2. Form 7 — objection seeking deletion of a name already entered in the electoral roll.
  3. Form 8 — application for correction of an entry, shifting of residence within a constituency, or replacement of the elector photo identity card.
  4. Form 8A — appeal against the order of an Electoral Registration Officer refusing inclusion of a name.
  • A. 1, 2 and 3
  • B. 2 and 4
  • C. 1 and 3
  • D. 1, 2 and 4

Q4. An elector whose name has been ordered to be removed from the roll during the SIR may prefer a first appeal, within fifteen days, to which authority?

  • A. The Chief Electoral Officer of the State concerned
  • B. The Assistant Electoral Registration Officer of the constituency concerned
  • C. The District Magistrate of the district concerned
  • D. The Booth Level Officer of the polling station concerned

Q5. Consider the following statements regarding the constitutional and statutory framework governing electoral rolls in India: 1. The superintendence, direction and control of the preparation of the electoral rolls for all elections to Parliament and to the Legislature of every State is vested in the Election Commission. 2. The roll for a constituency may be revised either intensively or summarily, or partly intensively and partly summarily, as the Commission may direct, and in an intensive revision the roll is prepared afresh. 3. Electoral Registration Officers are appointed by the Governor of the State concerned, the Election Commission having only an advisory role in their selection. 4. A person must be a citizen of India and not less than eighteen years of age on the qualifying date, and not otherwise disqualified on grounds such as non-residence or unsoundness of mind, to be registered as an elector. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. The superintendence, direction and control of the preparation of the electoral rolls for all elections to Parliament and to the Legislature of every State is vested in the Election Commission.
  2. The roll for a constituency may be revised either intensively or summarily, or partly intensively and partly summarily, as the Commission may direct, and in an intensive revision the roll is prepared afresh.
  3. Electoral Registration Officers are appointed by the Governor of the State concerned, the Election Commission having only an advisory role in their selection.
  4. A person must be a citizen of India and not less than eighteen years of age on the qualifying date, and not otherwise disqualified on grounds such as non-residence or unsoundness of mind, to be registered as an elector.
  • A. 1 and 3
  • B. 2 and 4
  • C. 1, 2 and 4
  • D. 3 and 4 only

Q6. For how long must the applications in the prescribed forms for correction and transposition of entries, and the papers connected with their disposal, be retained after completion of the next revision of the roll?

  • A. At least one year after completion of the next revision of the roll
  • B. At least three years after completion of the next revision of the roll
  • C. At least five years after completion of the next revision of the roll
  • D. At least ten years after completion of the next revision of the roll

Q7. Consider the following statements about the Supreme Court's ruling of May 2026 on the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls: 1. The Court held that the exercise advances the constitutional imperative of free and fair elections and that the Commission had not acted outside its statutory powers. 2. The Court held that the Election Commission may carry out a limited scrutiny of citizenship status while preparing and revising electoral rolls. 3. The Court held that a finding recorded by the Election Commission in the course of the revision amounts to a final adjudication of a person's citizenship. 4. The Court directed the Election Commission to accept Aadhaar as a valid identity document for inclusion in the revised electoral roll. Which of the statements given above is/are NOT correct?

  1. The Court held that the exercise advances the constitutional imperative of free and fair elections and that the Commission had not acted outside its statutory powers.
  2. The Court held that the Election Commission may carry out a limited scrutiny of citizenship status while preparing and revising electoral rolls.
  3. The Court held that a finding recorded by the Election Commission in the course of the revision amounts to a final adjudication of a person's citizenship.
  4. The Court directed the Election Commission to accept Aadhaar as a valid identity document for inclusion in the revised electoral roll.
  • A. 3 only
  • B. 1 and 2
  • C. 2 and 4
  • D. 1, 3 and 4

Q8. In its May 2026 ruling, the Supreme Court located the competence to carry out the Special Intensive Revision in which authority and under which source of power?

  • A. The Election Commission of India, under Article 326, which by itself vests every power over electoral rolls in the Commission
  • B. The Election Commission of India, under Article 324 read with Section 21(3) of the Representation of the People Act, 1950
  • C. The Chief Electoral Officer of each State, under the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960, which are the sole source of that power
  • D. The Ministry of Law and Justice, under the Representation of the People Act, 1951, which excludes all judicial scrutiny of the rolls

Q9. Consider the following units of the Indian Union with reference to Phase-II of the Special Intensive Revision ordered on 27 October 2025: 1. Kerala — one of the States covered in that phase. 2. Uttar Pradesh — one of the States covered in that phase. 3. Jharkhand — one of the States covered in that phase. 4. Puducherry — one of the Union Territories covered in that phase. Which of the above is/are correctly identified?

  1. Kerala — one of the States covered in that phase.
  2. Uttar Pradesh — one of the States covered in that phase.
  3. Jharkhand — one of the States covered in that phase.
  4. Puducherry — one of the Union Territories covered in that phase.
  • A. 1 and 3
  • B. 1, 2 and 4
  • C. 2, 3 and 4
  • D. 3 and 4 only

Q10. During the Special Intensive Revision, door-to-door verification of households and the distribution and collection of enumeration forms at the polling-station level are carried out by which functionary?

  • A. Booth Level Agents nominated by the recognised political parties
  • B. Assistant Electoral Registration Officers deputed to each polling area
  • C. Designated Officers posted at the designated locations of the constituency
  • D. Booth Level Officers attached to each part of the electoral roll

Q11. Consider the following statements about Form 7 applications for deletion of names, as clarified by the Election Commission: 1. A Form 7 objection may be filed with the Electoral Registration Officer by another elector raising an objection, and not only by the elector whose name is entered. 2. In the case of Aland in Karnataka, of 6,018 Form 7 deletion applications submitted online, only 24 were found genuine on verification and the rest were rejected. 3. Once a Form 7 is submitted online, the deletion of the entry is effected online by the member of the public who files it. 4. No deletion can take place without giving the person concerned notice and an opportunity of being heard. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. A Form 7 objection may be filed with the Electoral Registration Officer by another elector raising an objection, and not only by the elector whose name is entered.
  2. In the case of Aland in Karnataka, of 6,018 Form 7 deletion applications submitted online, only 24 were found genuine on verification and the rest were rejected.
  3. Once a Form 7 is submitted online, the deletion of the entry is effected online by the member of the public who files it.
  4. No deletion can take place without giving the person concerned notice and an opportunity of being heard.
  • A. 1 and 3
  • B. 2 and 3
  • C. 1, 2 and 4
  • D. 1, 3 and 4

Q12. Consider the following actions attributed to the Supreme Court in the litigation arising out of the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls: 1. It sought the Election Commission's response to interim applications by Trinamool Congress Members of Parliament alleging arbitrariness and procedural irregularities in the West Bengal revision. 2. It extended by one week the deadline for publication of the final electoral roll in West Bengal. 3. It directed the Election Commission to place before it data on the pendency and disposal of appeals against exclusion from or inclusion in the West Bengal rolls. 4. It stayed the revision in Kerala until after the local body elections, accepting the State Government's request for deferment. Which of the above is/are NOT correct?

  1. It sought the Election Commission's response to interim applications by Trinamool Congress Members of Parliament alleging arbitrariness and procedural irregularities in the West Bengal revision.
  2. It extended by one week the deadline for publication of the final electoral roll in West Bengal.
  3. It directed the Election Commission to place before it data on the pendency and disposal of appeals against exclusion from or inclusion in the West Bengal rolls.
  4. It stayed the revision in Kerala until after the local body elections, accepting the State Government's request for deferment.
  • A. 1 and 2
  • B. 2 and 3
  • C. 3 only
  • D. 4 only