EC Directs Bihar to Include Aadhaar in Voter Roll Update Following SC Order

Speedy Summary

• The Election Commission (EC) directed Bihar’s Chief Electoral Officer to accept Aadhaar as one of the documents for proof of identity during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
• This directive follows a Supreme Court order instructing the EC to include Aadhaar in its list of ‘indicative’ documents.
• The EC clarified that Aadhaar should be treated as proof of identity, not citizenship, under Section 9 of the Aadhaar Act, 2016.
• Draft electoral rolls published on August 1 excluded approximately 65 lakh names due to reasons such as deaths, migration, and duplication.
• Voters whose names are deleted from draft rolls may file claims using Aadhaar or othre valid documents with Electoral Registration Officers (EROs). EROs will scrutinize these claims through inquiries before determining inclusion/exclusion.

Indian Opinion Analysis

The inclusion of Aadhaar as an additional document for voter roll revisions in Bihar aligns with broader attempts at leveraging widely-used identification methods while maintaining legal safeguards on citizenship verification. Clarifying its role solely as proof of identity helps address concerns over misuse under varied judicial scrutiny related to Aadhaar’s applicability.Given that over 65 lakh entries were excluded from preliminary voter lists, this process enables individuals affected by deletions-many due to migration or data inconsistencies-to challenge and rectify their status effectively. However, it highlights demographic mobility and administrative challenges within India’s electoral system which require balanced measures ensuring both accuracy and inclusivity in depiction.

For more details: the Hindu – Full Article