Widen the net, Pg8

Key Highlights:

• Supreme Court urged ECI to include Aadhaar, EPIC, and ration card for voter identity verification.
• Only 11 documents were previously accepted, excluding widely held ones like Aadhaar.
• 87% of Bihar's population has Aadhaar, but only 2% have passports, making the original list restrictive.
• Court questioned the ECI's inconsistency in excluding Aadhaar while accepting caste certificates.
• Past rulings state that onus of proving citizenship cannot fall on already registered voters.
• Court emphasized that voter identity, not citizenship, is the purpose of SIR.
• ECI reminded of its constitutional role under Article 324 to facilitate, not restrict, electoral participation.

Detailed Insights:

• The SIR process in Bihar has faced criticism for being overly bureaucratic and exclusionary, especially affecting marginalised groups.
• The Court’s observations align with previous judicial precedents, ensuring that legitimate voters are not wrongfully disenfranchised.
• The ECI's exclusion of Aadhaar, despite its wide acceptance and use in availing public services, ignores ground realities.
• The approach of treating all existing voters as potential non-citizens unless verified through narrow documentation violates democratic principles.
• The conflict between the Chief Electoral Officer’s liberal interpretation and the Chief Election Commissioner’s stricter stance created confusion at the grassroots level.
• The judiciary’s intervention presents the ECI with an opportunity to course-correct towards an inclusive voter verification process, reaffirming the right to vote as a cornerstone of democracy.

Key Concepts Involved:

• Article 324 of the Constitution: Empowers the Election Commission to supervise, direct, and control elections.
• Electoral Roll Revision: Includes regular and special intensive revisions under the Representation of the People Act, 1950.
• Aadhaar: A 12-digit unique identity number based on biometric and demographic data, used widely for identity verification but not proof of citizenship.