Hindi English Translation || Editorial || ​Widen the net: On Supreme Court and Bihar’s revision of electoral rolls

​Widen the net: On Supreme Court and Bihar’s revision of electoral rolls

The Election Commission of India must heed the Supreme Court’s view on including more accessible (पहुँच योग्य, उपलब्ध) documents

The Supreme Court of India’s pointed observations (टिप्पणी, अवलोकन) on Thursday (July 10, 2025) regarding (के संबंध में, के बारे में) Bihar’s ongoing (चल रहा, जारी) Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls (मतदाता सूची) are a crucial course correction (the activity to modify, improve or rectify something (the plan of action)) for the Election Commission of India (ECI), which it must heed (ध्यान देना, गौर करना) immediately. By urging the ECI to consider including the Aadhaar, the Elector Photo Identity Card, and the ration card (family card; an official document issued by the government that allows households to purchase essential commodities like rice, wheat, sugar, and kerosene at subsidized rates from public distribution system (PDS) shops) among the acceptable documents for identity verification, the Court has acknowledged (स्वीकार करना, मान्यता देना) the critique (आलोचना, समीक्षा) of the SIR that the 11 documents listed for verification are a restrictive (प्रतिबंधात्मक, सीमित करने वाला) and unnecessary barrier (बाधा, अवरोध) to voter registration. The Court has nudged (प्रेरित करना, धकेलना) the ECI toward inclusivity (समावेशिता) in a way that could help resolve the core issues with the SIR. The Court rightly observed (remark, comment, say, mention, announce, opine, state, pronounce) that “the entire exercise of SIR is about identity (पहचान) only”, that none of the 11 documents currently listed are “telltale ones for citizenship”, and that they are all meant to prove identity. It also rightly went on to question why Aadhaar, which is “considered basic for getting other documents”, is excluded while dependent (निर्भर, आश्रित) documents such as caste certificates are accepted, exposing (reveal, show, display, disclose, manifest, unveil) the inconsistency (discrepancy, contradiction, incongruity, mystery, riddle, conundrum) in the ECI’s position (stance, standpoint, point of view, posture, stand, approach, perspective). The ECI’s objection (complaint, opposition, disapproval, disagreement) to Aadhaar as merely (only, simply, just) proving residence rather than (instead of) citizenship reveals a misunderstanding of the practical realities of Bihar, besides (apart from, other than, barring, excluding) legal precedents (a past action/event/decision that is seen as an example; previous example, previous instance, prior instance, previous case, example). For example, data show that while 87% of Bihar’s population have an Aadhaar card, only 45%-50% are matriculates (a person who has matriculated (be formally admitted to study at a university or college)) and close to just 2% have passports.

The Court’s earlier judgments remain relevant (appropriate, pertinent, to the point) too, having decisively (clearly, certainly, undoubtedly, definitely, unquestionably) rejected putting the “onus (responsibility, duty, liability, accountability, obligation, burden) of proof of citizenship” on voters already enrolled (join, enter, register) in previous elections. This precedent contradicts (be in conflict with, be inconsistent with, be at odds with, be at variance with, belie; oppose, challenge, go against) the SIR’s approach of treating every voter as a potential (possible, likely, probable) non-citizen unless proven otherwise (in the absence of proof to the contrary; accepted by default) and which risks significant disenfranchisement (the condition of being stripped of the right (to vote)) of electors despite their having valid identification. While not staying (stop, delay, or prevent something temporarily (a judicial proceeding/trial through the order of a court)) the SIR, the Court also listed the judicial review of the whole process, including its timing and nature, which “goes to the very roots (origin, beginnings, fundamental, foundation, basis, core) of our democracy [and] is about the right to vote”. The Court has reminded the ECI that its mandate (instruction, directive, direction, order, law, statute, ruling), under Article 324 (it vests the Election Commission of India (ECI) with superintendence, direction and control over elections in India), is to facilitate (make easy, make possible, enable, assist, help/aid) democratic participation (involvement, engagement, taking part), and not to create obstacles. There has been enough confusion on the ground (in the place where real, practical work is happening; in actual conditions rather than in theories; in a place where real, practical work is done) following a more liberal (non-specific, rough, inexact, ill-defined) reading (understanding, interpretation, analysis) of the ECI’s SIR rules on document submission and verification by the Chief Electoral Officer, which was overruled (cancel, reverse, invalidate, abolish, quash, revoke, overturn, nullify, repeal, annul) by the Chief Election Commissioner. With its suggestion on expanding the list of verifiable documents, the Court has provided the ECI an opportunity to transform (change) the SIR from a dangerously exclusionary (restrictive, privileged, close-knit, elite; unfair by excluding someone/something) exercise — one that could affect marginalised (relating to the people treated as insignificant/unimportant; the neglected) citizens — into a genuinely inclusive process.

Courtesy: The Hindu

Important Word List With Meaning

1.electoral roll (noun)

Hindi Meaning - मतदाता सूची
English Meaning - list of voters; voters list.

2.heed (verb)

Hindi Meaning - ध्यान देना, गौर करना
English Meaning - pay attention to, take notice of, take note of, bear in mind, take into account, take into consideration, consider, follow, obey.

3.accessible (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - पहुँच योग्य, उपलब्ध
English Meaning - available, on hand, obtainable, convenie.

4.observation (noun)

Hindi Meaning - टिप्पणी, अवलोकन
English Meaning - remark, comment, opinion, thought, finding, statement, pronouncement.

5.regarding (phrase)

Hindi Meaning - के संबंध में, के बारे में
English Meaning - with regard to; concerning, in terms of; in connection with.

6.ongoing (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - चल रहा, जारी
English Meaning - current, existing, continuing.

7.acknowledge (verb)

Hindi Meaning - स्वीकार करना, मान्यता देना
English Meaning - accept, recognize, realize.

8.critique (noun)

Hindi Meaning - आलोचना, समीक्षा
English Meaning - analysis, evaluation, assessment, appraisal, review.

9.restrictive (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - प्रतिबंधात्मक, सीमित करने वाला
English Meaning - restricting, limiting, tightening, confining, blocking, hindering, impeding.

10.barrier (noun)

Hindi Meaning - बाधा, अवरोध
English Meaning - obstacle, obstruction, hindrance, stumbling block, hurdle, impediment, problem,.

11.nudge (verb)

Hindi Meaning - प्रेरित करना, धकेलना
English Meaning - encourage, prompt, stimulate/coax.

12.inclusivity (noun)

Hindi Meaning - समावेशिता
English Meaning - the quality of being inclusive without excluding people on grounds of gender, race, class, disability & etc.

13.identity (noun)

Hindi Meaning - पहचान
English Meaning - a social category, a set of persons marked by a label and distinguished by rules deciding membership and (alleged) characteristic features or attributes; individuality, character, originality.

14.go on to (phrasal verb)

Hindi Meaning - आगे बढ़ना, जारी रखना
English Meaning - proceed, continue, carry on.

15.dependent (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - निर्भर, आश्रित
English Meaning - subordinate, relative.

 
16.widen the net (phrase)

English Meaning - to consider a large range of options; to include a large range of possibilities.

17.widen (verb)

English Meaning - broaden, expand, enlarge, extent, increase.

18.roll (noun)

English Meaning - list.

19.pointed (adjective)

English Meaning - sharp, strong; cutting, piercing.

20.Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of Electoral Rolls (noun)

English Meaning - It aims to revise the electoral rolls in the state in order to include all eligible voters (under Article 326 of the Constitution of India) and eliminate all ineligible voters from the voter list (under Section 16 of the Representation of People Act, 1950 (RPA)). The SIR is carried out through its (ECI) powers under Article 324 and Section 21 of the RPA. Article 324 vests the ECI with superintendence, direction and control over elections in India. Section 21 of the RPA empowers the ECI to prepare and revise electoral rolls.

21.course correction (noun)

English Meaning - the activity to modify, improve or rectify something (the plan of action).

22.Electors Photo Identification Card (EPIC) (noun)

English Meaning - Voter ID; The electors registered in the electoral roll are issued with Electors Photo. Identity Card (EPIC). The number of the EPIC issued is printed on the electoral roll (voter list).

23.ration card (noun)

English Meaning - family card; an official document issued by the government that allows households to purchase essential commodities like rice, wheat, sugar, and kerosene at subsidized rates from public distribution system (PDS) shops.

24.observe (noun)

English Meaning - remark, comment, say, mention, announce, opine, state, pronounce.

25.expose (verb)

English Meaning - reveal, show, display, disclose, manifest, unveil.

26.inconsistency (noun)

English Meaning - discrepancy, contradiction, incongruity, mystery, riddle, conundrum.

27.position (noun)

English Meaning - stance, standpoint, point of view, posture, stand, approach, perspective.

28.objection (noun)

English Meaning - complaint, opposition, disapproval, disagreement.

29.merely (adverb)

English Meaning - only, simply, just.

30.rather than (phrase)

English Meaning - instead of.

31.besides (preposition)

English Meaning - apart from, other than, barring, excluding.

32.precedent (noun)

English Meaning - a past action/event/decision that is seen as an example; previous example, previous instance, prior instance, previous case, example.

33.matriculate (noun)

English Meaning - a person who has matriculated (be formally admitted to study at a university or college).

34.relevant (adjective)

English Meaning - appropriate, pertinent, to the point.

35.decisively (adverb)

English Meaning - clearly, certainly, undoubtedly, definitely, unquestionably.

36.onus (noun)

English Meaning - responsibility, duty, liability, accountability, obligation, burden.

37.enroll (verb)

English Meaning - join, enter, register.

38.contradict (verb)

English Meaning - be in conflict with, be inconsistent with, be at odds with, be at variance with, belie; oppose, challenge, go against.

39.potential (adjective)

English Meaning - possible, likely, probable.

40.unless proven otherwise (phrase)

English Meaning - in the absence of proof to the contrary; accepted by default.

41.disenfranchisement (noun)

English Meaning - the condition of being stripped of the right (to vote).

42.stay (verb)

English Meaning - stop, delay, or prevent something temporarily (a judicial proceeding/trial through the order of a court).

43.root (noun)

English Meaning - origin, beginnings, fundamental, foundation, basis, core.

44.mandate (noun)

English Meaning - instruction, directive, direction, order, law, statute, ruling.

45.Article 324 (noun)

English Meaning - it vests the Election Commission of India (ECI) with superintendence, direction and control over elections in India.

46.facilitate (verb)

English Meaning - make easy, make possible, enable, assist, help/aid.

47.participation (noun)

English Meaning - turnout, attendance, involvement, taking part. (Voter turnout refers to the number or percentage of eligible voters who cast their ballots).

48.participation (noun)

English Meaning - involvement, engagement, taking part.

49.on the ground (phrase)

English Meaning - in the place where real, practical work is happening; in actual conditions rather than in theories; in a place where real, practical work is done.

50.following (preposition)

English Meaning - after, subsequent to, in the wake of, as a result of, ensuing.

51.liberal (adjective)

English Meaning - non-specific, rough, inexact, ill-defined.

52.reading (noun)

English Meaning - understanding, interpretation, analysis.

53.overrule (verb)

English Meaning - cancel, reverse, invalidate, abolish, quash, revoke, overturn, nullify, repeal, annul.

54.transform (verb)

English Meaning - change.

55.exclusionary (adjective)

English Meaning - restrictive, privileged, close-knit, elite; unfair by excluding someone/something.

56.marginalised (adjective)

English Meaning - relating to the people treated as insignificant/unimportant; the neglected.