The Supreme Court has pulled up the Election Commission for restricting documents in Bihar’s special electoral roll revision, warning against disenfranchisement
While ration cards and Aadhaar were signalled as valid identity proof, the EC avoided Aadhaar, a move the court found inconsistent with existing law
Aadhaar was not created as proof of citizenship, but it has become widely used to establish both identity and residence, making its exclusion problematic
The SIR process itself is flawed. Citizenship cannot be revalidated before every election through ad hoc revisions without risking fairness and inclusion
Most voters in Bihar were born when registration rates were under 10%, making birth certificates rare. Proving citizenship remains a practical challenge
For electoral trust, the Commission must work with impartiality, transparency, and capacity, ensuring no voter is unfairly excluded from the rolls