Aadhaar in Voter Lists: Identity, Not Citizenship

The Election Commission of India has clarified to the Supreme Court that Aadhaar is to be used only for identity verification, not as proof of citizenship, while updating Bihar's voter list. This clarification aligns with Section 23(4) of the Representation of the People Act, 1950.

The Election Commission of India has stated that the Aadhaar card is to be used solely for establishing identity in Bihar's voter list revision, and not as evidence of citizenship. This announcement follows previous Supreme Court instructions to avoid using Aadhaar as citizenship proof.

This directive aligns with Section 23(4) of the Representation of the People Act, 1950, which outlines the inclusion of names in electoral rolls based on identity establishment. The Commission has communicated this to Bihar's Chief Electoral Officer.

The move responds to an application by Ashwini Kumar Upadhyay, requesting Aadhaar be used only for identity verification. Additionally, the Unique Identification Authority of India stressed that Aadhaar should not be considered proof of citizenship, residence, or birthdate.

(With inputs from agencies.)