Delhi HC questions ECI teacher deployment

The India — Delhi High Court on July 24, 2026, questioned the India — Election Commission of India (ECI) over its decision to deploy school teachers for Booth Level Officer (BLO) duties during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Delhi. A division bench of Chief Justice D. K. Upadhyaya and Justice Tejas Karia heard a PIL filed by advocates Rajesh Kumar and Ashok Agarwal, challenging the large-scale deployment of government, municipal, and government-aided school teachers. The court questioned the ECI's reliance on Article 324 of the Constitution and noted that teachers described as 'volunteers' effectively have no option but to comply, facing disciplinary action if they refuse. The ECI argued that only 10-14% of teachers are deployed, and duties are assigned during holidays or non-teaching hours. The court directed the ECI to file an affidavit and posted the matter for further hearing on July 28. The petition claims the deployment disrupts classroom teaching, violates Supreme Court judgments and the Right to Education Act, and discriminates against government school students.