‘Aadhaar, voter, ration cards just ID, not proof of citizenship’: EC defends SIR in Bihar

New Delhi, July 22: Facing legal scrutiny over its latest Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar, the Election Commission of India (ECI) has defended the exercise as essential to "purifying" voter lists by weeding out ineligible names—using Aadhaar, ration cards, and voter IDs for identification.

In an affidavit filed before the court in response to a plea challenging the June 24 order for a pan-India SIR rollout starting with Bihar, the ECI argued that documents like Aadhaar are already being used—"for identification only"—not as proof of citizenship or domicile.

“The SIR exercise adds to the purity of elections by removing ineligible persons,” the EC stated, citing Article 326 of the Constitution and the Representation of the People Acts (1950 & 1951) to reinforce that only qualified citizens have the right to vote.

While critics have raised red flags over potential misuse of Aadhaar and the exclusion of genuine voters, the EC maintained that Aadhaar details are voluntary and only used in line with Section 23(4) of the RPA, 1950, and Section 9 of the Aadhaar Act, 2016—which itself clarifies that Aadhaar is not proof of citizenship.

The EC also referenced the Supreme Court’s July 17 observation suggesting Aadhaar, voter ID, and ration card may be used for SIR-2025 purposes—strengthening its legal stance.

Massive Voter Verification in Bihar

As of July 18, enumeration forms from 7.11 crore out of 7.89 crore voters (90.12%) in Bihar have already been collected, the EC revealed—adding that once deceased, duplicate, or relocated voters are factored in, the process has already reached 94.68% coverage.

Only 5.2% of voters remain to submit forms before the July 25 deadline. Booth Level Officers (BLOs) are delivering pre-filled forms and assisting voters across the state.

“No voter is being burdened unfairly. The same approach has been used in earlier revisions,” the EC said, dismissing allegations of selective targeting.

Critics Raise Alarm

Despite the EC’s clarification, rights groups and some political voices worry that the exercise could lead to disenfranchisement of marginalized communities, especially if Aadhaar or other documents are treated as de facto requirements.

As the Supreme Court weighs the issue, the debate over the balance between electoral integrity and inclusion continues to intensify.