The Supreme Court on Monday directed the Election Commission of India (ECI) to accept Aadhaar as the 12th identity document for inclusion in the revised voters’ list in Bihar.
A bench of Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi passed the order while hearing petitions, including one by the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), which argued that Aadhaar was not being accepted by ECI officials as a stand-alone document for voter registration. Petitioners said that officials were insisting on one of the eleven documents earlier notified by the Commission.
The Court clarified that Aadhaar can be submitted as proof of identity for electoral roll inclusion but does not constitute proof of citizenship. It also recorded the undertaking of the Election Commission that Aadhaar will be accepted by its officials in the Bihar Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process.
The order further allows ECI officials to verify the authenticity and genuineness of Aadhaar cards produced by applicants before inclusion in the electoral roll.
The directive clears the way for Aadhaar to be used as an additional identity document during voter list revisions in Bihar.
