✎ ECI faces scrutiny over commissioners' SIR concerns, raising questions on election integrity and transparency.
Relevance for Banking, SSC & RBI Grade B exams: Economy/Governance
Opposition leaders have raised serious concerns over the functioning of the Election Commission of India (ECI) after an *Indian Express* investigation revealed that two election commissioners, Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi, recorded at least 14 objections over 10 months regarding the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. The objections, including four in a single day, pertained to decisions made in the ECI’s name without their knowledge, such as changes to Form 6 that required new voters to declare lineage on the “last SIR” roll—a move the commissioners termed unauthorized and potentially harassing for first-time voters. The SIR, aimed at removing bogus, duplicate, and ineligible voters, has drawn criticism from the Opposition, which alleges it is a politically motivated exercise to disenfranchise certain voter groups ahead of elections, particularly benefiting the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
The revelations have intensified calls for accountability, with Congress leader Manish Tewari questioning whether an “invisible hand” is influencing the ECI and suggesting that decisions taken without unanimity or majority consensus could be arbitrary or illegal. Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut echoed concerns about the ECI’s credibility, highlighting decisions made while keeping the majority of the three-member commission in the dark. For banking and SSC aspirants, this issue underscores the importance of electoral integrity and institutional transparency in governance, a recurring theme in exams like RBI Grade B, where questions on constitutional bodies and their functioning are common. Similarly, SSC exams often test awareness of current affairs related to governance, making this a relevant topic for static GK and dynamic current affairs sections.
Source: Hindustan Times
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