Supreme Court Dismisses PIL for Postal Ballot Rights for Students

The Supreme Court rejected a PIL advocating postal ballot rights for students residing outside their constituency. The bench highlighted that students could register as voters at their current location according to the Election Commission manual. The petition suggested electronic voting, which the court deemed unnecessary.

The Supreme Court of India, on Friday, dismissed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) seeking to extend postal ballot facilities to students living away from their home constituencies. The decision was made by a bench comprising Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna and Justice Sanjay Kumar, who asserted that the Election Commission already allows students to register as voters at their current place of residence.

The petition, filed by Arnab Kumar Mullick, aimed to grant postal ballot rights to students residing outside their native constituencies. However, the court observed that the existing postal ballot system caters to specific categories such as defense personnel and senior citizens, leaving no provision for students.

During the proceedings, Chief Justice Khanna referenced Justice Kumar's practice of traveling to his native constituency to vote, emphasizing the importance of in-person voting. The petitioner's counsel suggested adopting an electronic voting framework similar to that for Non-Resident Indians, but the court dismissed this, citing the electoral roll manual which allows eligible students to register locally.