West Bengal SIR tribunal judges can now use PAN cards and other government-issued identity documents to access the Election Commission’s portal instead of relying on Aadhaar authentication.
The decision is expected to remove a major technical hurdle that has affected the processing of voter-related appeals in the state.
The Election Commission’s move comes after several judges appointed to hear appeals under the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls raised objections to the Aadhaar-based login system.
The disagreement had affected the online functioning of the appellate tribunals, leaving a large number of voter appeals pending.
The West Bengal Chief Electoral Officer’s (CEO) office has now permitted judges to use PAN cards and other government-issued identity documents for the digital authentication process.
West Bengal SIR Tribunal Judges Get PAN Card Option
The controversy began after the Election Commission introduced an Aadhaar authentication feature on its appellate tribunal portal on September 21.
The system required judges to use Aadhaar credentials to access the platform and process their orders.
Several tribunal judges objected to this requirement and communicated their concerns to the state’s Additional Chief Electoral Officer on September 24.
They wanted the Aadhaar authentication feature removed so they could continue disposing of appeals without facing the disputed login requirement.
Following their objections, the judges stopped logging into the portal. Although they continued working offline, the online submission and disposal of appeals faced difficulties.
The latest decision allows judges to obtain Digital Signature Certificates (DSCs) using their PAN cards and government-issued identity documents.
This provides an alternative to the Aadhaar-based authentication arrangement that had caused disagreements.
How Will the New Digital Signature Process Work?
Under the revised arrangement, judges will have to complete the process of obtaining digital signature certificates through an authorised service provider.
The required documents include a colour scan of the applicant’s PAN card, another government-issued identity card and a recent photograph. Judges also need to provide a valid mobile number and email address for verification.
The authentication process includes one-time passwords sent to the registered mobile number and email address.
Video verification is also required, during which applicants must show their original PAN card and government-issued identity document.
The digital signature certificate will allow judges to authenticate their identity electronically while accessing the Election Commission’s portal and uploading their orders.
The reported cost of obtaining each digital signature certificate is Rs 2,300, as per the government-notified rates.
This change is particularly important because the appellate tribunals need to process a substantial number of cases involving voters whose names were deleted from electoral rolls or whose inclusion is being challenged.
More Than 37 Lakh Voter Appeals Still Pending
The technical disagreement emerged at a time when West Bengal’s SIR appeal process was already facing a considerable backlog.
The Election Commission’s data submitted to the Supreme Court showed that 38.31 lakh appeals had been received by September.
Of these, approximately 1.26 lakh cases had been disposed of, leaving more than 37 lakh appeals pending.
These appeals involve voters seeking a review of decisions related to their inclusion or exclusion from the electoral rolls.
The appellate tribunals were established following the Supreme Court’s directions in March 2026 to provide a mechanism for addressing appeals arising from the SIR exercise.
A total of 19 appellate tribunals were set up in West Bengal under the supervision of retired judges.
Their responsibility is to examine appeals and decide whether the concerned voters are eligible for inclusion in the electoral rolls.
However, the disagreement over portal authentication created difficulties in uploading and formally processing decisions online.
Will the Change Speed Up Pending SIR Appeals?
Allowing PAN-based digital signature certificates is expected to help remove one of the major obstacles affecting the tribunals’ online operations.
The Election Commission has also considered other changes to improve the functioning of the appellate tribunal portal.
These include allowing judges to upload multiple orders together and save draft orders before issuing final decisions.
Another important change concerns the documents that judges can consider while deciding appeals.
The portal has been updated to provide greater flexibility in accepting documents beyond the originally listed categories.
These measures are intended to make the appeal process more convenient and reduce administrative difficulties for tribunal judges.
However, the availability of an alternative authentication system does not automatically mean that all pending cases will be resolved immediately.
The actual pace of disposal will depend on how quickly the revised arrangements are implemented and how efficiently the tribunals can examine the large number of pending appeals.
For thousands of West Bengal voters waiting for decisions on their electoral status, the new arrangement could be an important step towards restoring the online appeal process.
The focus will now be on whether the tribunals can use the updated system effectively and clear the growing backlog.
