The Indian Council of Social Science Research (ICSSR), an autonomous body under the Ministry of Education, has issued a show cause notice to the Centre for the Study of Developing Societies (CSDS) following what it described as a “gross violation” of grant-in-aid rules in connection with false electoral roll data circulated by CSDS fellow Sanjay Kumar.
In a statement on 19 August, ICSSR said that Kumar’s claims on Maharashtra’s electoral rolls, which were subsequently retracted, amounted to data manipulation and had been used to question the credibility of the Election Commission of India (ECI). The council stated that the incident had caused disrespect to both the institute and the electoral process.
It has come to the notice of ICSSR that an individual holding responsible position at CSDS, an ICSSR-funded research institute, has made media statements that had to be retracted subsequently citing glitches in data analysis regarding elections in Maharashtra.
Futher, the…
— Indian Council of Social Science Research (ICSSR) (@icssr) August 19, 2025
ICSSR said the matter involved “biased interpretation” of the Sample Survey on Electors Register (SIR) exercise conducted by the ECI. It added that the act had undermined the sanctity of the Commission, which it described as a high constitutional body responsible for conducting free and fair elections in the country.
The controversy began on 17 August 2025 when Sanjay Kumar posted figures on social media suggesting abnormal changes in Maharashtra’s electoral rolls between the 2024 Lok Sabha and Assembly elections. He claimed that constituencies such as Nashik West and Hingna had recorded growths of over 40 per cent in voter numbers, while Ramtek and Deolali had seen sharp declines.
The data was amplified by Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera, who questioned the credibility of the ECI and alleged large-scale discrepancies. However, on 19 August 2025, Kumar apologised and retracted his claims, stating that his team had “misread rows” while comparing datasets. He said the post had been deleted and that there was no intent to misinform.
Official data from the ECI showed that the figures presented by Kumar were inaccurate. For example, Nashik West recorded a 6 per cent rise in electorate size between the two rolls, compared to the 47 per cent increase he had cited. Hingna recorded an increase of 6 per cent, while Ramtek and Deolali both showed small rises rather than the sharp declines claimed.
ICSSR said that the issue went beyond a technical error and was a breach of grant rules applicable to institutes receiving government funding. It added that the matter would be examined further following the notice to CSDS.
(With inputs from OpIndia)
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