The Supreme Court on Monday clarified that it has not approved any modification to Form 6, the statutory form used by first-time voters to seek inclusion in electoral rolls, during the Election Commission of India’s (ECI) ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise.
A bench comprising Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, Justice Joymalya Bagchi and Justice V Mohana made the observation while hearing a PIL seeking action against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
Senior Advocate Menaka Guruswamy, appearing for the petitioner, raised concerns over the additional declaration being attached to Form 6 during the SIR exercise.
CJI Kant clarified that the Supreme Court had not approved any modifications to Form 6, adding that the court would examine who made the changes once the records were produced.
The additional declaration requires applicants seeking inclusion in the electoral roll to state whether their own name, or that of a parent or grandparent, appeared in an earlier SIR-era electoral roll.
Concerns have been raised that the requirement could create an additional hurdle for first-time voters, particularly those whose families did not figure in earlier electoral rolls. Questions have also been raised over whether the ECI could introduce such a requirement without amending the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960.
The issue had reportedly also led to objections from Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi, who are said to have questioned the introduction of the declaration without a corresponding amendment to the statutory rules.
The controversy was further fuelled by reports that applicants were unable to submit the online Form 6 without responding to the declaration, although the declaration itself was not marked mandatory.
The Supreme Court’s clarification comes days after the ECI, in a September 26 press note, claimed that the additional declaration attached to Form 6 during SIR had been upheld by the Supreme Court.
According to the ECI, the Supreme Court had approved the additional declaration added to Form 6 for the SIR process, but regular forms prescribed by the 1960 Rules would continue to be used during non-SIR periods.
The Commission was referring to the Supreme Court’s May 27, 2026 judgment concerning the SIR exercise in Bihar, in which the Court examined the ECI’s authority to seek additional documentation during electoral-roll revision.
However, the additional declaration currently attached to Form 6 was introduced subsequently.
The ECI has maintained that Form 6 itself was not amended and that the declaration constituted an additional requirement applicable specifically during the SIR exercise.
The Supreme Court’s remarks on Monday indicate that the question of who authorised or introduced the modified version of Form 6 may be examined when the relevant records are placed before the Court.
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