New Delhi: In a significant directive, the Election Commission of India (ECI) has instructed the chief electoral officer of Bihar to formally accept Aadhaar cards as a valid form of identification during the state’s ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. This decision comes in direct compliance with a Supreme Court order, which intervened after widespread complaints that election officials were refusing to recognize the document despite earlier informal instructions.
The directive solidifies the Aadhaar card’s status as the 12th document on the list of approved proofs of identity, supplementing the 11 documents already outlined in the SIR order issued on June 24, 2025. Crucially, the ECI emphasized that Aadhaar is to be “accepted and utilised as a proof of identity and not as a proof of citizenship,” a point reinforced by Section 9 of the Aadhaar Act, 2016. This clarification addresses the commission’s initial reservations about formally listing the document, while adhering to the Supreme Court’s mandate. The ECI also noted that the Representation of People Act, 1950 already recognizes Aadhaar as a valid document for establishing a person’s identity.
The Political Flashpoint in Bihar
The controversy stems from the current SIR exercise in Bihar, which has become a major political flashpoint ahead of the state’s assembly elections later this year. The process, which aims to create a new electoral roll, saw the exclusion of nearly 6.5 million names from the draft rolls published last month. Opposition parties, led by the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), have fiercely criticized the revision, alleging that genuine voters are being disenfranchised due to technical barriers and inconsistent instructions from election officials.
The ECI, on the other hand, maintains that the revision is a necessary exercise after nearly two decades without such a comprehensive review, and that the exclusions were of deceased or duplicated voters. However, the opposition’s concerns have been echoed by eight other national parties, including Congress and Trinamool Congress, who have warned that this method could be replicated nationwide. The Supreme Court’s intervention was prompted by persistent confusion over Aadhaar’s status, which it sought to resolve by issuing an explicit clarification.
The court bench underscored that “genuine citizens are entitled to be included in the rolls,” while acknowledging the need to exclude those with “forged or sham documents.” The ECI’s directive to accept Aadhaar for identity verification is intended to simplify the process and ensure that all eligible voters can register without undue barriers. The commission has warned that any instance of non-compliance by election authorities will be treated with “utmost seriousness,” signaling a firm stance on the matter.