SC Directs EC to Include Aadhaar as 12th Valid Document for Bihar SIR

Court Clarifies Aadhaar Cannot Be Used to Establish Citizenship

- OUR CORRESPONDENT

The Supreme Court on Monday ruled that Aadhaar cards must be accepted as a valid identity document in the ongoing special intensive revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar. The Election Commission of India (ECI) was directed to implement the order by September 9.

A bench comprising Justices Surya Kant and Joymalya Bagchi clarified that while Aadhaar can serve as proof of identity, it cannot be used as proof of citizenship. "Aadhaar shall be treated as the 12th document by the EC. However, it is open for the authorities to examine the validity and genuineness of Aadhaar submitted by the voters. It is clarified that Aadhaar will not be treated as proof of citizenship," the bench said in its order.

Currently, 11 documents are accepted for the SIR process in Bihar, including passports and birth certificates. With the court's ruling, Aadhaar joins this list. The SIR exercise, being conducted for the first time since 2003, is scheduled to culminate in the publication of the final electoral roll on September 30, as per the ECI's June 24 notification.