The fact is the ECI is a commission in crisis , Pg6

Key Highlights:

• The Election Commission of India (ECI) faces a credibility crisis following a Supreme Court order on August 14, 2025, regarding the deletion of 65 lakh electors from the Bihar draft roll.
• Rahul Gandhi, Leader of the Opposition, raised questions about voter anomalies, further intensifying scrutiny of the ECI's actions.
• The ECI's press conference on August 17 failed to clarify doubts regarding the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar.
• The CEC, Gyanesh Kumar, faced criticism for providing unconvincing answers and for the ECI's refusal to share video footage, citing privacy concerns.

Detailed Insights:

• The ECI has been accused of stonewalling scrutiny by denying access to voter list data, even after requests from political parties like the Indian National Congress.
• The Delhi High Court intervened, issuing a notice to the ECI on February 25, 2025, regarding the denial of electoral rolls related to Maharashtra and Haryana.
• Chief Electoral Officers (CEOs) in Maharashtra and Haryana provided similar responses, avoiding the provision of machine-readable digital voter lists.
• The Supreme Court directed the ECI to publish the names of deleted voters, reasons for deletion, and accept Aadhaar as a valid identification document.
• The ECI's actions have led to a loss of faith among major political parties and voters, raising concerns about its impartiality and administrative competence.
• The current crisis is perceived as self-inflicted, with the ECI failing to address concerns and being directed by the Supreme Court to fulfill its basic duties.

Key Concepts Involved:

• Electoral Roll: A list of persons eligible to vote in an election.
• Special Intensive Revision (SIR): A focused review and update of electoral rolls, often conducted before elections.
• Electors Photo Identification Card (EPIC): A photo identification card issued by the Election Commission of India to registered voters.