The Supreme Court of India on Thursday, December 18, 2025, directed the Election Commission of India (ECI) to consider requests for extending the deadline for submitting enumeration forms related to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) 2026 of electoral rolls.
Supreme Court Seeks ‘Sympathetic View’ on Voter Roll Revision
The Court asked the ECI to take into account “ground realities” in states like Uttar Pradesh and Kerala as it weighed challenges to the current schedule. This directive came during a hearing concerning the constitutionality of the SIR exercise itself, which is scheduled for further review on January 6, 2026, following the winter break.
The schedule for Kerala had already been revised, pushing the enumeration deadline to December 18 and the publication of the draft voter list to December 23. Uttar Pradesh received a revised deadline of December 26.
Senior advocate Siddharth Luthra, representing petitioners challenging the Uttar Pradesh SIR, questioned the urgency of the revision given that the next Assembly elections are not scheduled until 2027. Meanwhile, senior advocate Kapil Sibal argued that approximately 25 lakh electors in Kerala risk exclusion from the draft list under the current timeline.
Mr. Sibal illustrated the potential for errors in the enumeration process, stating, “The husband is excluded and the wife included. When the authorities know of this, they delete the wife too.”
The ECI is expected to present its arguments in defense of the SIR exercise at the next hearing. The Court also dismissed a plea raising concerns about the security of citizens’ data shared with “volunteers” during the enumeration phase.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls?
The Special Intensive Revision (SIR) 2026 is a process to update and revise electoral rolls.
Which states are currently facing challenges with the SIR schedule?
Uttar Pradesh and Kerala are the states specifically mentioned in the report as facing challenges with the SIR schedule.
What is the next step in this legal process?
The Supreme Court has listed the hearing on the constitutionality of the SIR for January 6, 2026, after the winter break, at which time the ECI will present its arguments.
As the ECI prepares its response, what factors do you think will be most critical in determining the final outcome of this case?
