Electoral Bonds: What The SC Judgment Means And How Political Funding Is Regulated In Western Democracies

The five-judge constitution bench headed by Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud during the hearing on the SBI's plea seeking more time to disclose electoral bonds data. ( Image Source :PTI )

On February 15, 2024, the Supreme Court unanimously struck down the Central government's 2018 Electoral Bonds Scheme. A five-judge Constitutional Bench headed by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud held that the scheme violated the voters' right to information enshrined in Article 19(1)(a) of the Indian Constitution. The court further ordered that the sale of electoral bonds be stopped with immediate effect while directing the State Bank of India (SBI) to submit details of the electoral bonds purchased