15 March 2024 Constitutional & Government >> Constitution & Law Procedure   |   Elections Law >> Constitution & Law Procedure  

The Supreme Court of India has issued an order regarding data disclosure on Electoral Bonds.

Missing Data Retrieval:

The Election Commission of India (ECI) requested the Court to return data on Electoral Bonds submitted earlier. The Court directed the data to be scanned and digitized, with a copy provided to ECI. The ECI is then obligated to upload this data on its website by March 17th, 2024.

SBI Under Scrutiny:

The Court noted that the State Bank of India (SBI), responsible for managing Electoral Bonds, did not disclose crucial alpha-numeric codes while furnishing details to ECI. This code would allow matching donors with the political parties receiving the funds. To address this, the Court has issued a notice to SBI for a hearing on March 18th, 2024. Additionally, a senior SBI officer responsible for Electoral Bond details must be present to explain the missing information.

Conclusion:

This order is part of a larger case filed by the Association for Democratic Reforms, which advocates for transparency in political funding. The Supreme Court aims to ensure complete data disclosure on Electoral Bonds, promoting transparency in political donations.