The Supreme Court today directed the Election Commission to treat the Aadhaar card as a 12th document, which can be produced as proof of identity for the purpose of inclusion in the revised voters’ list of Bihar. This means that the Aadhaar card can be submitted as a stand-alone document for inclusion in the voters’ list. The Court also clarified in its order that Aadhaar is not proof of citizenship. In the Bihar Special Intensive Revision (SIR) matter, the Court directed the Election Commission to its officials on the grounds regarding the acceptance of Aadhaar.

 

 

The Court further clarified that the ECI officials will be entitled to verify the authenticity and genuineness of Aadhaar cards produced by the voters. The Court recorded the undertaking of the ECI that the Aadhaar card will be accepted as proof of identity. A bench comprising Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi passed the order after RJD and other petitioners submitted that the ECI officials were not accepting the Aadhaar card as a stand-alone document for inclusion in the electoral roll and were insisting on the production of any of the eleven documents specified by the ECI in its SIR notification.