UPSC Prelims Practice Questions — SC expands judicial team to aid West Bengal SIR

Q1. In the context of recent Supreme Court orders concerning West Bengal's 2026 electoral roll preparation, what does the term 'Special Intensive Revision (SIR)' precisely refer to?

  • A. A door-to-door census-style enumeration of citizens conducted jointly by the Registrar General of India and the Election Commission
  • B. A time-bound exercise by the Election Commission to update electoral rolls by purging deceased, ineligible and duplicate voters and adjudicating claims and objections
  • C. A judicial review by the High Court of voter list deletions made by Electoral Registration Officers under Section 22 of the RP Act, 1950
  • D. A statutory delimitation exercise conducted by the Delimitation Commission to redraw Assembly constituency boundaries before a general election

Q2. The Special Bench of the Supreme Court that passed the February 2026 orders deploying district judges and civil judges to assist the Election Commission in the West Bengal SIR was headed by which one of the following?

  • A. Chief Justice of India Surya Kant
  • B. Justice Joymalya Bagchi
  • C. Justice Vipul M. Pancholi
  • D. Justice B. R. Gavai

Q3. With reference to the Supreme Court's February 2026 directions on the West Bengal SIR, consider the following categories of judicial resources permitted to assist the Election Commission: 1. Serving and former district / additional district judges of West Bengal 2. Civil judges (senior and junior division) with at least three years of experience 3. Judicial officers from the States of Odisha and Jharkhand 4. Serving judges of the Supreme Court of India Which of the above is/are correctly identified?

  1. Serving and former district / additional district judges of West Bengal
  2. Civil judges (senior and junior division) with at least three years of experience
  3. Judicial officers from the States of Odisha and Jharkhand
  4. Serving judges of the Supreme Court of India
  • A. 1 and 2 only
  • B. 1, 2 and 3 only
  • C. 2, 3 and 4 only
  • D. 1, 2, 3 and 4

Q4. How many Appellate Tribunals, headed by former High Court Chief Justices and Judges, were notified to hear appeals arising out of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in West Bengal?

  • A. 7
  • B. 12
  • C. 19
  • D. 23

Q5. With reference to the Supreme Court's framework for the West Bengal Special Intensive Revision (SIR) in 2026, consider the following statements: 1. The Special Bench hearing the matter was headed by Chief Justice Surya Kant. 2. Civil judges with at least three years of experience were permitted to adjudicate claims and objections. 3. Nineteen Appellate Tribunals were notified to hear appeals from the revision exercise. 4. The Election Commission was directed to postpone publication of the final voter list by six months beyond the Assembly election deadline. Which of the statements given above is/are NOT correct?

  1. The Special Bench hearing the matter was headed by Chief Justice Surya Kant.
  2. Civil judges with at least three years of experience were permitted to adjudicate claims and objections.
  3. Nineteen Appellate Tribunals were notified to hear appeals from the revision exercise.
  4. The Election Commission was directed to postpone publication of the final voter list by six months beyond the Assembly election deadline.
  • A. 1 and 3 only
  • B. 2 only
  • C. 4 only
  • D. 3 and 4 only
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