SIR row: Election Commission must accept Aadhaar as proof of identity, rules Supreme Court

In a significant ruling, the Supreme Court on Monday ruled that Election Commission must accept Aadhaar as proof of identity in voter roll revision case. At the moment for Bihar SIR, there are 11 prescribed documents which electors have to submit with their enumeration forms.

A bench of Justices Surya Kant and Joymalya Bagchi, however, clarified Aadhaar will not be a proof of citizenship and the commission can ascertain the genuineness of Aadhaar card number submitted by an elector for inclusion in the electoral roll.

The top court also sought EC’s explanation on showcause notices it issued to poll officials for not accepting Aadhaar card from the voters.

Senior advocate Rakesh Dwivedi, appearing for poll panel, submitted 99.6 per cent of the 7.24 crore voters in the draft roll had submitted documents and petitioners seeking inclusion of Aadhaar as 12th document would not serve any practical purpose.

The bench referred to provisions of Aadhaar Act of 2016 and the Representation of Peoples Act and said that it not a proof of citizenship but can be considered as a proof of identity.

The poll panel, which opposed any extension of the September 1 deadline for filing of claims and objections as per the SIR schedule, had submitted that post the top court’s August 22 order, till August 30, only 22,723 claims had been filed for inclusion and 1,34,738 objections had been filed for exclusion.

According to the June 24 schedule of the poll panel for the Bihar SIR, the deadline for filing claims and objections to the draft roll ended on September 1, and the final electoral roll will be published on September 30.

Story highlights:

1. SC directs EC to accept Aadhaar as valid identity proof
2. Bench cited provisions of Aadhaar Act of 2026 
3. Bench also cited Representation of Peoples Act
4. It mentioned, Aadhaar is a proof of identity, not citizenship