Lists of folly: On the Supreme Court, the SIR and benefits

The Supreme Court has reiterated its stance that exclusion from electoral rolls cannot be linked to consequences unrelated to voting, specifically in response to West Bengal government orders that made welfare benefits and caste certifications contingent on outcomes of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. The Court emphasized that SIR outcomes are solely for electoral purposes and cannot determine citizenship status or eligibility for welfare schemes like Annapurna Yojana and Public Distribution System, citing its previous judgment in the Bihar SIR case. The article highlights the legal paradox of citizenship and electoral rolls, stressing that linking absence from the roll to subsistence benefits is illogical and cruel, and raises concerns about universal human rights.