SC questions EC on voter roll deletions, citizenship, Pg1

Key Highlights:

• The Supreme Court questioned the Election Commission (EC) on the deletion of names from voter rolls during the special intensive revision (SIR) exercise.
• The court raised concerns about whether an Electoral Registration Officer (ERO)'s decision to remove a person's name based on citizenship could trigger a government investigation into deportation.
• Draft electoral rolls in nine states and three Union Territories showed approximately 6.5 crore deletions during the second phase of the SIR process.
• The court questioned if the ERO could exclude a person before the central government makes a final decision on their citizenship.

Detailed Insights:

• The court's questions arose from concerns about the potential impact on individuals whose names were removed from the electoral rolls based on citizenship verification during the SIR.
• The EC argued that it is empowered to verify citizenship for electoral roll inclusion, while the Union government decides on deportation.
• The court questioned whether the ERO's finding should be referred to the central government for a decision before a person's voting rights are revoked.
• The EC's counsel argued that non-citizens are not entitled to be on the electoral roll, emphasizing citizenship as a cornerstone of the electoral process.
• The Representation of the People Act and the Registration of Electors Rules of 1960 empower the EC to conduct inquiries into citizenship for electoral purposes.

Key Concepts Involved:

• Electoral Roll: List of persons eligible to vote in an election.
• Citizenship Act: Law determining who qualifies as a citizen of India.
• Delimitation: The process of fixing limits or boundaries of territorial constituencies in a country or a province having a legislative body.