Supreme Court Rules Class 10 Admit Cards Valid for Voter List Verification
The Supreme Court made a significant observation on Monday. It stated that Class 10 admit cards should serve as valid documents for verification during the ongoing Special Intensive Revision of the voters' list in West Bengal. This decision directly challenges the Election Commission's recent stance.
Court Questions Election Commission's Refusal
A three-judge Bench led by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant delivered this observation. Justices Dipankar Datta and Joymalya Bagchi were also part of the Bench. The court emphasized that an admit card issued by the Board carries a presumption of correctness. "If it is given, it has to be accepted," the top court remarked, according to reports from Live Law.
This observation came after the Election Commission refused to accept the Class 10 Madhyamik admit card last week. The poll body had cited instructions issued on October 27, 2025, for the SIR in West Bengal. Those instructions did not recognize the Madhyamik admit card as a valid verification document.
Key Issue: Date of Birth on Admit Cards
During the hearing, the Supreme Court questioned the EC's decision. Senior advocate Kalyan Banerjee, representing some petitioners, highlighted a critical point. He informed the court that the Election Commission was accepting only the Class 10 result or pass certificate. However, these documents do not mention the date of birth.
"The date of birth is mentioned only in the admit card," Banerjee stated. The court noted this discrepancy. It pointed out that the West Bengal Board prints the date of birth on the admit card and not on the pass certificate. Therefore, the admit card must be allowed for enumeration purposes.
Election Commission's Response and Next Steps
Senior advocate Rakesh Dwivedi appeared for the Election Commission of India. He argued that the petitioners had not clearly raised these issues in their written submissions. Banerjee disagreed. He pointed to specific parts of the petition and referenced an ECI press release stating that admit cards would not be accepted.
Dwivedi later told the court that he would examine the matter further. He promised to "get back after taking instructions" from the Election Commission. This indicates that the Commission may reconsider its position following the court's strong observations.
The Supreme Court's stance reinforces the importance of accessible verification documents. It ensures that eligible voters in West Bengal can use their Class 10 admit cards to participate in the democratic process. The court's intervention aims to streamline the voter list revision and address practical challenges faced by citizens.
