Supreme Court Questions Form 6 Changes

CJI Surya Kant said the Supreme Court never approved the modified Form 6 used to add new voters.

The Supreme Court has made a significant intervention in the controversy surrounding Form 6, the document used for adding new voters to India’s electoral rolls. Chief Justice of India Surya Kant clarified that the court had not approved the modified Form 6, contradicting an earlier impression created by statements surrounding the Election Commission’s Special Intensive Revision exercise. The clarification came while the court was hearing petitions challenging the functioning of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and aspects of the nationwide voter-roll revision process.

Form 6 is important because it provides the standard route through which an eligible citizen can seek inclusion in the electoral roll. Any change to the documentation required for registration can therefore have direct consequences for access to voting rights. The controversy has centred on an additional declaration or annexure introduced into the process and whether the Supreme Court had previously approved its use. The Election Commission had maintained that the declaration had been upheld by the court, while the court has now made clear that it did not approve the modified form in the manner being suggested.

The dispute is taking place against the larger background of the Special Intensive Revision, which has become one of the most contentious electoral issues in India. Petitioners have alleged that the exercise could lead to mass disenfranchisement, while the Election Commission says the revision is intended to improve the accuracy of electoral rolls. The Supreme Court’s clarification is significant because it places the focus back on the institutional responsibilities of the Election Commission and the legal basis for the documentation being demanded from voters. The court is expected to examine the records surrounding the changes and determine what exactly was authorised and by whom. The case could ultimately have consequences for how voter-registration procedures are designed and communicated across India.