The Supreme Court has directed that the names of individuals excluded from the draft electoral rolls in Kerala after the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) must be made public. This information should be accessible at local offices and on the Election Commission of India’s official website. Nearly 24 lakh names were removed from the draft rolls, prompting concerns that affected individuals couldn’t raise objections without a published exclusion list.
During the hearing, it was highlighted that many individuals were inaccurately marked as deceased or residing outside Kerala. In response, the apex court ordered that if not already displayed, the names of excluded individuals should be made available at gram panchayat offices or other public locations in villages. Additionally, the list must be published on the website for transparency.
The Chief Justice of India-led Bench suggested that the Election Commission of India might consider extending the deadline for objections to the deletions. Earlier, the court had allowed petitioners seeking more time for the SIR process in Kerala to submit representations to the ECI. The ECI was directed to address these submissions by December 31, 2025.
