Overview
- A bench of Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi said state‑deputed employees are obligated to perform SIR duties and told governments to add personnel so working hours can be reduced.
- Requests for exemption must be assessed case by case with a replacement appointed, and states cannot withdraw assigned staff unless suitable substitutes are provided.
- The court disposed of TVK’s plea on interim relief but allowed families to later seek ex‑gratia compensation for deaths allegedly linked to SIR duties.
- Petitioners reported FIRs under Section 32 and 35–40 suspected suicides among BLOs, while the Election Commission said criminal action was used only against reluctance and noted over 90% form distribution in Tamil Nadu.
- The revision spans roughly 51 crore electors, with a recent one‑week timeline extension in multiple states and Rajasthan reporting near‑complete digitisation and voter mapping.