The Delhi High Court on Monday (December 1, 2025) criticised the Union Government for failing to hold Cantonment Boards’ elections across the country for more than five years. The Boards fall under the Ministry of Defence.
Noting that India is a democratic country and hence there is a need to have democratically elected Cantonment Boards, a Division Bench of Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela pulled up the Centre for issuing multiple notifications to govern the boards with officials.
The Bench said, “Special notifications could only be issued on special occasions, such as in the case of a military operation. It said the government’s act might be seen as a misuse of its powers.”
Issuing notice to the Union Government and the Director General Defence Estates (DGDE) on a plea filed by Sandeep Tanwar and Yogesh Kumar, the Court directed them to file a response explaining the reasons for delay in polls and repeated issuance of notices under Section 13.
The case will be heard on March 11, 2026. The plea filed by Mr. Tanwar and Mr. Kumar, residents of Delhi and Agra cantonments, stated that the government had failed to conduct the polls for more than a decade. They alleged a bid to alter the constitution of the Cantonment Boards.
