The Supreme Court of India has ruled that Aadhaar cannot be treated as conclusive proof of Indian citizenship. The verdict came while hearing petitions against the Special Summary Revision of electoral rolls in Bihar. The apex court backed the Election Commission’s stance that citizenship must be independently verified.
Justice Surya Kant told senior advocate Kapil Sibal, representing the petitioners, that the EC was correct in refusing to accept Aadhaar as sole proof. The bench added that the key question is whether the EC has the power to conduct citizenship verification. If the EC has no such power, the matter ends. If it does, then verification is valid.
The Case and the Verdict
Petitioners challenged the EC’s move to verify citizenship during the electoral roll revision. The EC had earlier claimed it could demand a list of documents to confirm citizenship.
On August 12, the court upheld this view. It stressed that Aadhaar alone cannot settle citizenship claims. This is because Aadhaar was designed to identify residents, not determine nationality.
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Aadhaar: Origins and Purpose
The UIDAI issued the first Aadhaar number on 29 September 2010 to Ranjana Sonawane from Nandurbar, Maharashtra. Launched by then-PM Manmohan Singh, Aadhaar aimed to provide a universal identity to every resident of India.
Over time, it became essential for accessing LPG subsidies, applying for a passport, linking voter cards, receiving pensions, opening bank accounts, getting a driving licence, obtaining a PAN card, and even booking COVID-19 vaccinations.
Identity Proof vs Citizenship Proof
Proof of identity verifies that a person is who they claim to be. Proof of citizenship, however, confirms legal nationality. While some documents serve both purposes, Aadhaar does not.
The Indian passport, birth certificate, and voter ID remain the primary citizenship documents. Aadhaar’s strength lies in biometric authentication, not nationality verification.
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Election Integrity
The ruling of the court extends beyond Aadhaar. It emphasizes how crucial electoral integrity is. The decision highlights he importance of thorough voter verification in a time of migration and identity theft.
It also places the EC at the centre of safeguarding democratic processes. If the EC exercises its verification powers responsibly, it can prevent ineligible voting and strengthen trust in elections.
Next Steps and Challenges
The decision may lead to states enforcing more stringent voter roll audits. Aadhaar will still be necessary for service access, but stronger citizenship verification will be needed.
The debate now shifts to the extent of verification that does not interfere with eligible votes. The decision makes it quite evident that identity and nationality are not synonymous.
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