The Delhi High Court on Monday, December 1, 2025, criticized the Union Government for failing to hold Cantonment Boards elections across India for over five years. These Boards function under the Ministry of Defence. A Division Bench, led by Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela, said India is a democratic country and stressed the need for elected Cantonment Boards. The court pulled up the government for issuing multiple special notifications that let officials run the boards instead of elected members. "Special notifications could only be issued on special occasions, such as in the case of a military operation. The government’s act might be seen as a misuse of its powers," the Bench said. The court issued notices to the Union Government and the Director General Defence Estates (DGDE) after a petition by Sandeep Tanwar and Yogesh Kumar, residents of Delhi and Agra cantonments. The petition claimed the government failed to conduct polls for more than 10 years and tried to alter the boards' constitution. The government’s lawyer said polls were delayed due to plans to unify municipal laws with cantonment regulations. Also under consideration was merging some cantonment areas with nearby municipal bodies. Currently, there are about 60 Cantonment Boards managing civic affairs in various states. The last elections were held in January 2015, whose tenure ended in 2020. The court will hear the case again on March 11, 2026.