Be open about names added to final Bihar poll rolls, SC tells EC, Pg1

Key Highlights:

• The Supreme Court questioned the Election Commission (EC) regarding voter details added to the final Bihar electoral roll after a special intensive revision (SIR).
• Over 21.5 lakh voters were added to the final roll, while 3.66 lakh were removed.
• The final list shows 7.42 crore eligible voters in Bihar, higher than the 7.24 crore in the draft roll.
• The court inquired whether the 3.66 lakh deleted voters were individually informed of their exclusion and if a separate list was accessible at the grassroots level.

Detailed Insights:

• The Supreme Court emphasized the importance of transparency and access to information in an open democracy, questioning the EC about the identity of newly added voters.
• The court raised concerns about a potential mismatch between the official estimate of the adult population in Bihar (8.22 crore) and the number of electors in the final rolls (7.42 crore).
• Allegations were made that the SIR exercise disproportionately excluded women and Muslims from the electoral rolls, with claims of 17 lakh missing women and a reduction of about six lakh Muslim voters.
• The petitioners argued that the SIR exercise has compounded problems due to the EC's opacity, leading to a sharp fall in the adult population to electors' ratio.

Key Concepts Involved:

• Electoral Roll: A list of persons registered to vote in an election.
• Special Intensive Revision (SIR): A process of updating and revising the electoral roll to ensure accuracy and inclusivity.
• Transparency: The principle that government business should be open to public knowledge and scrutiny.