SC Allows Aadhaar as 12th Document for Bihar Voters
Relief for lakhs of voters as Aadhaar card to be accepted in electoral document list, but not as proof of citizenship.
- Supreme Court allows Aadhaar as 12th valid document for voter verification in Bihar.
- Aadhaar will not serve as proof of citizenship.
- Election Commission directed to issue instructions to officials.
- Authority to verify Aadhaar’s authenticity rests with election officers.
- Lakhs of voters stand to benefit from the decision.
GG News Bureau
New Delhi, 8th Sep: The Supreme Court has delivered a relief-giving verdict for voters in Bihar, directing that the Aadhaar card be treated as the 12th valid document for electoral purposes. The decision is expected to benefit lakhs of voters who were earlier unable to get their names added to the voter list due to the non-recognition of Aadhaar and voter ID as valid documents under the SIR process.
The court instructed the Election Commission to issue necessary directions to its officials to accept Aadhaar cards as part of the document list. However, the apex court clarified that Aadhaar will not be accepted as proof of citizenship. Election officials will still retain the authority to verify its authenticity and genuineness.
Under the SIR process, the Election Commission had earlier mandated Bihar citizens to provide proof of citizenship from a list of 11 approved documents. With the Supreme Court’s order, Aadhaar now joins as the 12th document, easing difficulties faced by several voters.
This decision is being seen as a balancing act, ensuring accessibility for voters while maintaining the constitutional safeguards on citizenship verification.
