New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday clarified that it has neither approved nor disapproved the Election Commission of India's (ECI) revised Form 6, making it clear that the validity of the modified voter registration form has not been adjudicated upon by the court.
A three-member bench comprising Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana explained that the revised Form 6 declaration did not exist when the court delivered its judgment in May 2026 on the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar. Consequently, that judgment cannot be construed as a ruling on the validity of the subsequently introduced declaration.
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The clarification came after counsel appearing for petitioner Priya Mishra referred to the CJI's October 5 observation that the Supreme Court had not approved the modification to Form 6. The counsel submitted that the ECI had nevertheless claimed that the court had upheld the revised declaration.
"There is no adjudication on the new Form 6. That is all we have said. Whether approved or not approved," Justice Bagchi observed.
Explaining the context of the CJI's earlier remarks, Justice Bagchi said the modified form did not exist when the Bihar SIR judgment was delivered. The court's observation, therefore, could not be interpreted as either approving or disapproving the revised declaration.
"We will examine it," Justice Bagchi said.
CJI Kant cautioned counsel against selectively relying on the court's observations. "Don't pick up words like this," he remarked, underscoring the need to read the court's earlier statements in their proper context.
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The proceedings followed a controversy over the ECI's claim that the SC had upheld the additional declaration introduced in Form 6 for the SIR exercise.
The bench agreed to issue notice on the petition before it and directed that the matter be listed on October 27 along with connected petitions concerning the ECI and Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.