SC Orders ECI to Publish Names of Voters Excluded from Bihar List

Aug 14, 2025 - The Supreme Court today, August 14, directed the Election Commission of India (ECI) to publicly release the names of the approximately 65 lakh voters removed from Bihar’s draft electoral rolls. ECI has also been told to give the reasons for their deletion. These details has to be made available on the websites of every district electoral officer in the State to promote transparency and accountability, the Court ruled, giving a deadline of 5:00 pm on August 19.

This significant interim order, delivered by the Bench of Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi, came after a Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise carried out in Bihar. The country’s apex Court today said that those whose names have been struck off the State's voter lists can submit their Aadhaar cards to challenge this deletion.

Earlier, the Aadhaar was not on the list of 11 documents the ECI had finalised for the voter list review process. It had said no to taking Aadhaar claiming it is not a valid proof of citizenship, even though it may be a proof of identity.

Now the ECI has been told by the Court to publicise that Aadhaar card will also be accepted in addition to the 11 documents specified.

With Media Inputs