Day after SC order, EC directs Bihar CEO to accept Aadhaar as 12th document for SIR drive, Pg1

Key Highlights:

• The Election Commission (EC) directed the Bihar CEO to accept Aadhaar as the 12th document for the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) drive.
• This directive follows a Supreme Court order mandating the inclusion of Aadhaar in the list of acceptable documents.
• The EC's June 24 order initially listed 11 documents for proof of birth and residence.
• Approximately 65 lakh voters were initially excluded from the draft rolls published on August 1 in Bihar.

Detailed Insights:

• The Supreme Court's intervention ensures that Aadhaar can be used as proof of identity for inclusion or exclusion from electoral rolls.
• The EC clarified that while Aadhaar is acceptable as proof of identity, it does not serve as proof of citizenship.
• The Representation of the People Act, 1950, already recognizes Aadhaar as a valid document for establishing identity during voter registration.
• The deadline for filing claims and objections related to the electoral rolls was September 1, but the EC has extended a welcome for submissions beyond this date.

Key Concepts Involved:

• Aadhaar: A 12-digit individual identification number issued by the Unique Identification Authority of India.
• Electoral Rolls: Official list of persons eligible to vote in an election.
• Representation of the People Act, 1950: Indian Parliament Act that regulates elections of the Houses of Parliament and the State Legislatures.