The Supreme Court has confirmed that Aadhaar can be used by voters as valid identity proof under the Representation of the People Act, 1950, while firmly clarifying that the card does not prove citizenship. The Court directed the Election Commission to treat Aadhaar as the 12th accepted document for voter-list revisions in Bihar, giving lakhs of citizens easier access to the rolls.
Reiterating the legal distinction between identity and citizenship, the bench underlined that Aadhaar’s statutory backing ensures its role in identity verification, but the Aadhaar Act, 2016, makes it clear it cannot establish citizenship or domicile. The judgment is expected to make the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process more inclusive, reducing the risk of eligible voters being left out due to lack of other papers.
Observers welcomed the decision as a step toward stronger electoral participation, though some civil society groups urged vigilance to prevent misuse or wrongful rejection of Aadhaar submissions at the ground level.
