SC Urges ECI to Accept Aadhaar and Ration Card for Bihar Roll Revision

By Sulagna Halder

NEW DELHI:

The Supreme Court of India on 10 July called on the Election Commission of India (ECI) to consider Aadhaar, voter ID and ration cards as valid identity proofs during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar. The court also observed that the timelines set by the ECI appeared “very short”, given the complexity of the exercise ahead of the November 2025 assembly elections.

A bench comprising Justices Sudhanshu Dhulia and Joymalya Bagchi noted that the ECI’s list of eleven acceptable documents, issued in its 24 June 2025 order, was illustrative and not exhaustive, and urged it to allow the three additional commonly held documents in the interest of justice.

During proceedings, Senior Advocate Gopal Sankaranarayanan, appearing for petitioners including the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) and RJD MP Manoj Jha, highlighted that the ECI’s exclusion of widely held documents such as Aadhaar and ration cards could result in mass disenfranchisement, particularly among marginalised groups. He said the ECI’s cut off of the 2003 electoral roll, and the short deadline for proof submission, further exacerbated the issue.

The court emphasised that while it was not directing the ECI to automatically register voters on the basis of these documents, it should provide reasons if it chose to reject them. “If you have a good reason to discard Aadhaar, you do it. Give reasons,” Justice Bagchi remarked.

Although the bench rejected interim relief such as a stay on the SIR process, it expressed concern over the accelerated schedule ahead of the Bihar elections due to the tight timelines for publication of draft and final rolls.

The court has listed the petitions for further hearing on 28 July, and asked the ECI to file its response by 21 July. Until then, the SIR process will continue as planned, with the draft electoral roll expected to be published by 1 August.

Among the petitioners are the ADR, RJD’s Manoj Jha, TMC MP Mahua Moitra, and activist Yogendra Yadav, who challenge the ECI’s authority, the cut‑off rules and the choice of acceptable documents under the Representation of the People Act and the Constitution.

The ECI began the SIR in late June, distributing enumeration forms across Bihar and conducting house to house verification via Booth Level Officers (BLOs) to identify voters not registered before 2003.

Petitioners caution that millions, especially those without access to the specified documents, like migrants, the poor and marginalised communities may be inadvertently excluded. “The documentation requirements, lack of due process and the short timeline make it highly likely that lakhs of genuine voters will be removed from the rolls,” ADR warned.

The Supreme Court’s intervention seeks a balance between the ECI’s mandate to maintain accurate voter registers and the constitutional right to vote for all eligible citizens, amid logistical challenges and looming deadlines.