The Supreme Court on Monday, September 8, directed the Election Commission of India (EC) to accept Aadhaar cards as a valid identity document for the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of Bihar’s electoral rolls, but clarified that Aadhaar cannot be treated as proof of citizenship.
With this order, Aadhaar becomes the 12th document eligible under the Representation of the People Act, 1950, for verifying voters’ identity and residence. The Court, however, underlined that officials must check the authenticity of Aadhaar submissions during the revision process.
The directive comes after concerns that excluding Aadhaar from the accepted list could disenfranchise thousands of voters in Bihar. Critics had argued the SIR exercise risked leaving out marginalized groups and migrant workers.
The Court’s ruling seeks to balance voter inclusion with safeguards, reiterating that citizenship remains the sole basis of voting rights, and Aadhaar alone does not establish it.
