“Would an officer who claims to have no knowledge of English, or in his own words, ‘inability to convey in English’, be in a position to effectively control an executive post?” the High Court asked.
The Uttarakhand High Court has directed the State Election Commission (SEC) and the Chief Secretary to clarify whether an Additional District Magistrate (ADM), who admitted inability to speak English, is fit to discharge the responsibilities of a high-ranking executive post. The direction came during proceedings in a writ petition challenging the legality of voter list entries based solely on family registers under the Uttar Pradesh Panchayat Raj (Registration of Electors) Rules, 1994.
A Division Bench comprising Chief Justice G Narendar and Justice Alok Mahra took note of the ADM’s response in Hindi during a court interaction and his admission that, while he could understand English, he was unable to speak it fluently. The Bench questioned whether such linguistic limitation would impede the discharge of executive functions in a role that often involves interdepartmental communication, official reporting, and adherence to statutory procedures conducted in English.
The matter arose in the context of the ADM’s role as Electoral Registration Officer (ERO) for the panchayat elections in Nainital. The court was seized of a petition that questioned the practice of adding names to the electoral rolls based solely on entries in the family register, without corroborative documents or independent verification.
During the hearing, the SEC's counsel confirmed that booth-level officers (BLOs) were collecting names from one household representative and entering them into the provisional electoral rolls without seeking any documentary evidence. These entries, unless objected to, would subsequently be included in the final rolls.
The Court noted that such a process, if uniformly followed across the state, raised serious concerns regarding the integrity and legality of the electoral enumeration process. It observed that reliance on a single document, the family register, without verification could compromise the credibility of the voter list.
In view of the wider implications, the Bench has directed the SEC and the Chief Secretary to appear virtually before the court and file detailed affidavits addressing both the legality of the voter registration process and the administrative suitability of officers with limited English proficiency holding critical executive positions.
The matter has been posted for further hearing on July 28, 2025.
Picture Source :
