THE SUPREME COURT TODAY directed the Election Commission of India (‘ECI’) to publish, on the websites of Bihar’s Chief Electoral Officer and all District Electoral Officers, the district-wise list of about 65 lakh voters omitted from the draft electoral roll published on August 1, 2025, following the Special Intensive Revision (‘SIR’). The list—searchable by EPIC number—must specify the reason for deletion in each case, such as death, permanent migration, or double registration.
The Court ordered that booth-wise lists of the deleted voters be displayed on notice boards of all panchayat bhavans, block development offices, and panchayat offices, ensuring manual access. It also mandated wide publicity of the order in vernacular and English newspapers with large circulation, in the “simplest, layman-friendly language”, along with announcements through electronic and social media.
Justice Surya Kant said, “If Poonam Devi has been omitted, Poonam Devi must be able to know that she has been deleted and why she has been deleted.”
The bench of Justices Surya Kant and Joymalya Bagchi further directed the ECI to make it clear in public notices that Aadhaar cards can also be furnished as identity proof when applying for re-inclusion, in addition to the existing eleven accepted documents.
