The record
Written from the 1 report below. Nothing here is unsourced.
- The Karnataka High Court has asked the Election Commission of India to respond to a petition challenging the routine appointment of anganwadi workers as Booth Level Officers (BLOs).
- The petition, filed by the Karnataka State Anganwadi Workers and Helpers Union, says this practice violates ECI's June 2025 guidelines, which allow such appointments only when Group C and above government employees are unavailable, and only with a certified non-availability record.
- The union argues that diverting anganwadi workers to electoral duties disrupts child nutrition, pre-school education and maternal welfare services, and that untrained workers handling app-based electoral roll work could risk errors.
- The case matters because it touches both the quality of child welfare services and the accuracy of electoral rolls in Karnataka.
What to watch next
- The ECI's response to the High Court on why anganwadi workers are being appointed as BLOs despite the 2025 guidelines
- Whether the court seeks details of non-availability certificates signed by Electoral Registration Officers
- Any interim direction from the court on deploying anganwadi workers for election duties while the case is pending
Related reporting
Grouped by subject or cast while the story boundary is under human review. No chronology is implied.
Loading the story…
Coverage1
1 report
English national1
All filed from India
Named India · Karnataka State Anganwadi Workers and Helpers Union · Chief Electoral Officer, Karnataka · Department of Women and Child Development · District Election Officer · Election Commission of India · K.S. Hemalekha · Vibhu Bakhru
The 1 report is listed beside the record.
Ask this story
Answers cite the reports above, or say they can't.