Supreme Court Orders States to Provide Adequate Staff for Electoral Reforms Amid Worker Stress

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{ "title": "Supreme Court Orders States to Provide Adequate Staff for Electoral Reforms Amid Worker Stress", "article": "The Supreme Court has directed state governments to deploy additional staff and substitutes for the Election Commission of India's (ECI) Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise. The court emphasized that states have a statutory obligation to provide adequate manpower for electoral work and cannot withdraw personnel without providing replacements. In a recent hearing, the court acknowledged the reported pressure experienced by booth-level officers (BLOs), including alleged suicides due to heavy workload and coercive action initiated by the ECI. The bench, comprising Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi, directed states to take proactive steps to mitigate stress and exempt officers who face genuine hardships. The court also laid down a framework for states to follow, including deputing additional staff to reduce excessive work hours for BLOs and considering individual requests for exemption. However, exemptions will not entitle states to withdraw deployed employees unless substitutes are arranged. The SIR exercise involves a large-scale revision of electoral rolls across states, requiring voters to verify their personal details and trace their names to those of their parents or relatives on the last revised electoral roll. The ECI has begun this exercise in 13 states and union territories. The court's order comes after petitions were filed challenging the SIR process in several states, including Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Kerala, and Puducherry. The matter will be heard next in connection with other pending petitions."