Aadhaar as a Voter ID Proof: The Supreme Court's Intervention to Uphold Electoral Rights
UPSC Relevance
Prelims: Indian Polity and Governance (Elections, Electoral Rolls, ECI, Supreme Court, Aadhaar - its legal status); Fundamental Rights.
Mains:
General Studies Paper 2 (Polity & Governance): Salient features of the Representation of People’s Act; Powers, functions and responsibilities of various Constitutional Bodies (ECI, Judiciary); Important aspects of governance, transparency and accountability.
Key Highlights from the News
In a significant ruling, the Supreme Court directed the Election Commission of India (ECI) to accept Aadhaar cards as proof of identity for the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar.
The article highlights that eligible citizens should not be denied voting rights due to procedural rigidity, considering this a victory for fundamental rights.
The court pointed out the inconsistency in ECI's argument that Aadhaar is not proof of citizenship but merely proof of residence, noting that many other documents accepted by the ECI are also not proof of citizenship.
90% of Bihar's population has Aadhaar. Excluding it could lead to the disenfranchisement of the poor and marginalized.
Numerous anomalies (such as disproportionate exclusion of women and migrant workers) were found in the ECI's hurried SIR process, which led to the removal of 6.5 million voters.
COMMENTS