1. Supreme Court Intervention in West Bengal SIR Process


A three-judge bench headed by CJI Surya Kant (current CJI in 2026) directed the deployment of serving and retired judicial officers (District or Additional District Judges) to oversee the SIR process.
  • ​The "Trust Deficit": The Court noted a severe breakdown in coordination and a "trust deficit" between the Election Commission of India (ECI) and the West Bengal Government.
  • Judicial Role: These officers will take over the quasi-judicial tasks typically performed by Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) to adjudicate lakhs of claims and objections from voters who were dropped or flagged for "logical discrepancies."
  • ​Article 142: The Court invoked its plenary powers under Article 142 to pass this order, describing the situation as "extraordinary."
  • ​Timeline: The deadline for publishing the voter list is February 28, 2026, with supplementary rolls to follow.

What is SIR (Special Intensive Revision)?

  • ​Definition: A rigorous, door-to-door verification process to update the electoral roll, far more exhaustive than a routine "Summary Revision."
  • Purpose: To eliminate "logical discrepancies" (e.g., age-gap errors, unmapped voters, or "ghost" entries) and ensure every eligible citizen is registered.
  • Legal Basis: Conducted under Section 21 of the Representation of the People Act, 1950, directed by the Election Commission (ECI) under Article 324.

Key Constitutional Takeaways

  • ​Article 324(6): Highlights the ECI’s dependency on State governments for staff, which can lead to federal friction.
  • ​Article 142: Demonstrated as a tool for "complete justice" when constitutional machinery (ECI-State coordination) stalls.
  • ​Voter Rights: Reaffirms that the Right to Vote is a precious constitutional right that cannot be compromised by administrative or technical (software) glitches.

Practice MCQ 

​Q. Consider the following statements regarding the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls:
​The SIR is a statutory process conducted under the provisions of the Representation of the People Act, 1951.
​The Electoral Registration Officer (ERO), who adjudicates claims and objections during the revision, performs a quasi-judicial function.
​Logical discrepancies in electoral rolls, such as age-gap violations, are exclusively resolved through automated AI software without human intervention.
​Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
A) 1 only
B) 2 only
C) 1 and 3 only
D) 2 and 3 only




Correct Answer : B


2. PAC pulls up govt. for slow implementation of SANKALP Scheme 


The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has recently criticized the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship for the "lackadaisical" implementation of the SANKALP scheme. Citing a CAG report, the panel highlighted that only 44% of the budgeted funds were disbursed between 2017 and 2023, pointing to a massive gap in financial and physical progress.

Public Accounts Committee (PAC)

  • ​Status: A Standing Parliamentary Committee (Financial).
  • ​Composition: 22 members (15 from Lok Sabha, 7 from Rajya Sabha). Members are elected via proportional representation.
  • ​Role: It examines the Appropriation Accounts and the Finance Accounts of the Union Government and the reports of the CAG.
  • ​Significance: It ensures that the executive is held accountable for every penny spent from the Consolidated Fund of India. By convention, the Chairperson is from the Opposition (currently chaired by K.C. Venugopal as per the article).

Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG)

  • ​Article 148: An independent constitutional authority.
  • ​Role in this Context: The PAC’s "pulling up" of the government is based on a CAG Audit Report. The CAG acts as the "Friend, Philosopher, and Guide" to the PAC.
  • ​Observation: The CAG flagged that only 44% of the budgeted funds were disbursed over six years, highlighting a gap between policy planning and execution.

SANKALP Scheme 

SANKALP (Skill Acquisition and Knowledge Awareness for Livelihood Promotion) is a flagship initiative of the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE).
Launch Year January 2018
Nature Centrally Sponsored Scheme
Funding Total Outlay: ₹4,455 Crore. Significant portion via World Bank Loan ($250 Million).
Objective To strengthen the institutional mechanism for skill development and increase access to quality and market-relevant training.
3 Key Pillars 
1. Institutional Strengthening (National, State, District). 
2. Quality Assurance of programs.
3. Inclusion of marginalized populations (Women, ST/SC, PwD)


Practice MCQ 

​Q. With reference to the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), consider the following statements:
​It consists of not more than 25 members from Lok Sabha.
​A Minister cannot be elected as a member of the committee.
​It examines the report of the Comptroller and Auditor General of India.
​Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
A) 1 and 2 only
B) 2 and 3 only
C) 3 only
D) 1, 2 and 3




Correct Answer : B