The Supreme Court has made an important ruling on the ongoing controversy over the voter list revision in Bihar. The court said that Aadhaar cards can be used as one of the documents to prove a person’s identity for

inclusion or exclusion in the revised electoral rolls

With this order, Aadhaar will now be treated as the 12th valid document in the list of identity proofs under the voter registration process. This is in line with the Representation of the People Act, 1950, which allows different documents to be used for proving identity.

However, the Supreme Court made a very clear distinction between identity and citizenship. The judges stressed that Aadhaar can only prove identity, not citizenship. The bench stated, “We clarify the Aadhaar card is not proof of citizenship and will not be accepted as proof of citizenship.”

The court also said that officials can check the genuineness of Aadhaar cards just like they do for other documents. The order stated: “The Aadhaar card shall be treated as the 12th document by authorities. However, it is clarified that authorities shall be entitled to verify the authenticity and genuineness of the Aadhaar card itself. It shall not be accepted as proof of citizenship. ECI shall issue instructions in this regard during the course of the day.”

During the hearing, the Election Commission of India (ECI) confirmed through its counsel that Aadhaar would be considered in line with the legal rules. The Commission will now issue formal guidelines to electoral officers to ensure this order is followed in Bihar.

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