Bihar Electoral Roll Revision: EC Directs Bihar CEO To Accept Aadhaar As Identity Proof

The Election Commission of India (ECI) has instructed Bihar's Chief Electoral Officer to treat Aadhaar as a valid proof of identity-though not of citizenship-for the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. The move comes after the Supreme Court's directive to add Aadhaar as the 12th acceptable document for voter verification, alongside the existing 11 options such as caste and birth certificates.

Supreme Court's Intervention

On July 10, the Supreme Court advised the EC to consider Aadhaar, ration cards, and voter IDs as valid due to their widespread use. While the EC initially resisted, arguing that Aadhaar does not prove citizenship, the Court ruled that it must be accepted-particularly for individuals whose names were missing from the draft rolls.

Aadhaar in Electoral Process

In a letter issued Tuesday, the EC clarified that under Section 9 of the Aadhaar Act, Aadhaar can establish identity, and that Section 23(4) of the Representation of People Act, 1950 already lists it as an accepted document. The Commission further warned that refusal to accept Aadhaar during the revision process would be taken "very seriously."

Bihar's Roll Revision Ahead of Polls

The nationwide SIR has begun with Bihar, where assembly elections are approaching. Voters had until July 25 to submit new forms for inclusion in the draft rolls, which were published on August 1.

From Bihar's 7.89 crore electors, only 7.24 crore names appeared in the draft list, while nearly 65 lakh entries were deleted by Booth Level Officers due to reasons like death, duplicate registrations, or ineligibility. The period for claims and objections closed on September 1.

What Lies Ahead

The acceptance of Aadhaar is expected to streamline identity verification during the voter registration process. However, the EC maintains that citizenship must still be proven through other documents, ensuring Aadhaar serves only as an identity marker, not nationality proof.