SC Clarifies It Has Not Approved Modified Form 6 in Bihar SIR Case

The Supreme Court on Monday clarified that it had not adjudicated upon or approved the modified Form 6 used by the Election Commission during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar.

A bench comprising Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana made the observation while hearing a petition related to the SIR exercise in Bihar.

During the proceedings, counsel appearing for the petitioner submitted that the Election Commission had claimed that the apex court had approved the revised Form 6.

Responding to the submission, Justice Bagchi said, “There is no adjudication on the new Form 6.” He added that the issue concerning the modified form was not before the court when it heard the matter relating to the SIR exercise in Bihar.

Form 6 is used by eligible individuals to apply for inclusion in the electoral roll.

The clarification follows the Supreme Court's observation on October 5 during the hearing of a separate petition, when it said it had not approved any modifications to Form 6 being used by the poll panel during SIR exercises across various states.

The issue came into focus after the Election Commission issued a press release on September 26 suggesting that the apex court had upheld the declaration in Form 6 in its May 2026 judgment concerning the Bihar SIR.

The latest observation clarifies that the court's earlier proceedings on the Bihar electoral roll revision should not be interpreted as judicial approval of the modified Form 6.

The SIR exercise has involved scrutiny and verification of electoral rolls, with the Election Commission undertaking the process to revise voter lists.

The court's remarks came as it continued hearing matters connected with the Bihar SIR, bringing renewed attention to the distinction between its earlier judgment and the changes made to the form used by the poll panel.

The clarification is significant in the context of ongoing legal scrutiny of the electoral roll revision process and the procedures governing applications for voter inclusion.