Supreme Court Mandates Aadhaar as Voter ID in Bihar's Electoral Roll

The Supreme Court directed the inclusion of Aadhaar as an identity proof in Bihar's voter list revision, though it emphasized Aadhaar is not proof of citizenship. This decision comes amid concerns about illegal immigrants. The Election Commission must now ensure genuine citizenship of Aadhaar cardholders in voter rolls.

The Supreme Court has instructed that the Aadhaar card be recognized as a valid form of identity for the electoral roll revision in Bihar. The court clarified, however, that Aadhaar should not be mistaken as proof of citizenship.

During the proceedings, the bench emphasized that while Aadhaar can serve as identity verification, the Election Commission must ensure the authenticity of citizenship claims. Senior advocates argued over the implications of including Aadhaar, highlighting a broader debate on voters' rights and identity verification.

The move comes in light of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) to refine Bihar's voter lists. Despite concerns over illegal immigrants, the revision aims to cleanse voter lists of inaccuracies, including duplicative or erroneous entries.

(With inputs from agencies.)