New Delhi: In a landmark judgement, the Supreme Court of India has directed the Election Commission of India (ECI) to accept Aadhaar as the 12th official document for identity verification in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar. The Court made it emphatically clear, however, that Aadhaar cannot be used as proof of citizenship.
Aadhaar legitimised as ID—but not as citizenship proof
A bench comprising Justices Surya Kant and Joymalya Bagchi ruled that Aadhaar cards may be used to establish the identity of voters during the inclusion or exclusion process in the revised electoral rolls. This inclusion aligns with Section 23(4) of the Representation of the People Act and requires the ECI to formally acknowledge Aadhaar as an admissible identity document.
Simultaneously, the Supreme Court reaffirmed longstanding precedent by underscoring that Aadhaar does not confer citizenship. The Court reaffirmed that citizenship must be established through constitutionally valid documentation, not through Aadhaar. Ensuring integrity while preventing exclusion
This decision comes amid mounting concerns that numerous voters—especially the marginalised—were being barred from voting due to lack of documentation. Multiple reports indicated that Booth Level Officers were refusing to accept Aadhaar as proof of identity, even after earlier judicial orders.
The Court has now directed the ECI to issue a formal notice to all electoral officers, including Booth Level Officers (BLOs), clarifying that Aadhaar must be treated as a valid ID, while also allowing them to verify its authenticity to guard against misuse.
Landmark judgment — implications for democratic inclusion
The ruling could significantly streamline the SIR process in Bihar, set to culminate in updated electoral rolls by 30 September. By accepting Aadhaar, the election system moves closer to reducing arbitrary exclusion, ensuring that no illegal voter slips through—and no genuine voter is unjustly left out.
The judgment further quashes narratives suggesting that Aadhaar is a stand-in for citizenship—dispelling opposition disinformation while strengthening the integrity of India’s voter identification system.