Overview

• A division bench of Chief Justice Manindra Mohan Shrivastava and Justice G. Arul Murugan directed ECI standing counsel Niranjan Rajagopalan to take notice and file a counter within four weeks.
• The court emphasized that the ECI has a statutory obligation to provide physical, information, and transport accessibility at polling stations and across its online platforms.
• Judges asked the ECI not to view the case as adversarial and noted that petitioner Vaishnavi Jayakumar, a cross‑disability activist, submitted photographs showing steps without ramps at polling sites.
• The PIL alleges ECI websites rely on a single image-based CAPTCHA and are not compliant with Guideline for Indian Government Websites norms, limiting access for visually impaired users.
• The petition seeks implementation of the ECI’s Assured Minimum Facilities and the 2021 Harmonised Guidelines on universal accessibility, with the court indicating it may issue effective orders after receiving the ECI’s response.