Supreme Court Grants Relief to Voters in Bihar SIR; Aadhaar Card Can Now Be Included as the 12th Document. However, it Will Not Be Considered Proof of Citizenship. The Election Commission Will Retain the Right to Verify Authenticity.
Bihar SIR: The issue of the SIR (Special Intensive Revision) process, scheduled to take place before the assembly elections in Bihar, had been heating up continuously. Many individuals claimed that their names had been removed from the voter list. As the controversy deepened, the Supreme Court intervened and issued a significant order. The court stated that Aadhaar card will now be accepted as the 12th document.
Why Aadhaar Was Added
The Election Commission had previously released a list of 11 documents to prove citizenship (Citizenship). Aadhaar was not included in this list because the Supreme Court had already clarified that Aadhaar is not proof of citizenship. However, difficulties escalated due to the unavailability of other documents for millions of voters. Keeping this in mind, the court ruled that while Aadhaar would not be considered proof of citizenship, it could be used as the 12th document for identity verification.
Election Commission's List of 11 Documents
Under SIR, the Election Commission had recognized the following 11 documents to prove citizenship:
- Identity cards of employees working for Central, State Government, or Public Sector Undertakings.
- Pension Payment Orders.
- Identity cards issued by government or local authorities, banks, post offices, LIC, and PSUs before July 1, 1987.
- Birth certificates issued by a competent authority.
- Passports.
- Educational certificates issued by recognized boards/universities.
- Permanent Residential Certificate.
- Forest Rights Certificate.
- OBC/SC/ST Caste Certificates.
- National Population Register (where available).
- Government land/house allotment certificates or family register.
Now, Aadhaar card has been added as the 12th option to this list.
Supreme Court's Clear Message
- The court emphasized two points in its order.
- Aadhaar card is not proof of citizenship.
- However, Aadhaar can be used for inclusion in the voter list or for identity verification.
This means that if a citizen does not possess any of the above 11 documents, they can still complete the process based on their Aadhaar card. However, the Election Commission will retain the right to verify the authenticity of the Aadhaar.
Why This Relief Was Necessary
As soon as the SIR process began in Bihar, a large number of people complained that their names were being removed from the voter list. This caused a situation of public discontent and fear. Pressure was mounting on the Election Commission to add simpler options to the list of documents. In such a scenario, this order from the Supreme Court is a piece of welcome news for millions of voters.
The Issue of Aadhaar and Citizenship
The Supreme Court once again clarified that Aadhaar cannot be considered proof of citizenship under the Aadhaar Act. Its purpose is solely to ensure identity. This means that no citizen can prove their citizenship solely based on an Aadhaar card. This is precisely why the court has included it in the list, but not as proof of Citizenship.
