Independent commission of former judges on SIR of electoral rolls to hold its first public hearing on 15 October

The commission has also formally notified the ECI and invited it to nominate a senior officer to attend the hearing and listen to the voters' testimonies.

Published Oct 14, 2026 | 11:27 AM ⚊ Updated Oct 14, 2026 | 12:05 PM

Special Intensive Revision of Electoral Rolls

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The Independent Commission of former judges on the SIR of electoral rolls, proposed by the Lawyers Association for Constitution (LAFC), will hold its first public hearing at Jawahar Bhawan in New Delhi on 15 October, to hear and document grievances from voters affected by the ongoing revision exercise.

The hearing, scheduled from 9 am to 1:30 pm, is the first in a series planned across the country to provide a platform for voters to present their concerns over the SIR process and its impact on their electoral rights.

The commission is chaired by former Supreme Court judge Justice Madan Lokur and includes former Supreme Court judge Justice A.K. Patnaik, former Jammu and Kashmir High Court Chief Justice Badar Durrez Ahmad, former Delhi High Court judge Justice Rekha Sharma and former Patna High Court judge Justice Anjana Prakash.

The commission has also formally notified the ECI and invited it to nominate a senior officer to attend the hearing and listen to the voters’ testimonies.

The press release further read: “The hearing is intended to ensure that the concerns of voters affected by the SIR process are heard and documented. The proceedings form part of a broader effort to facilitate public engagement with issues concerning electoral roll revision and the protection of eligible citizens’ voting rights. At the same time, the Commission is keen that the ECI should participate in the process by nominating an officer who can engage with the process. The Commission wishes to ensure complete neutrality and uphold principles of natural justice.”

Also Read: Lawyers’ body forms panel of former SC, HC judges to examine SIR’s validity

Key elements of inquiry

According to an earlier press release by LAFC, the Commission will independently evaluate whether the SIR exercise ensured that every eligible citizen was retained while ineligible entries were properly excluded.

Key elements of the inquiry include:

Nationwide Public Hearings: Full and regional benches of the Commission will travel across the country to hear testimony directly from affected citizens, civil society groups, and experts.
Empirical & Field Research: A dedicated Research Wing will collate and analyse the data regarding voter roll additions/deletions across the country and present it before the Commission.
Legal Scrutiny: A Legal Support Team will review relevant legislation, notifications, and verification processes to assess compliance with constitutional safeguards.

The Commission aims to complete its inquiry and release its final report to the public by December 2026.

The initiative seeks to draw attention to the importance of protecting the electoral rights of eligible citizens and upholding the fundamental democratic principle that every eligible voter’s voice matters.

(Edited by Sumavarsha, with inputs from Sreelakshmi Soman)