Focus on Mass Inclusion, Not Exclusion: Supreme Court to Election Commission on Electoral Rolls
The Supreme Court urged the Election Commission (EC) to accept Aadhaar and Electors Photo Identity Card (EPIC) as identity documents for the special intensive revision of Bihar's electoral list, emphasizing "mass inclusion" over "en masse exclusion." The EC resisted, citing easy forgery of these documents. However, the Court, comprising Justices Surya Kant and Joymalya Bagchi, argued that any document can be forged and that Aadhaar and EPIC carry a "presumption of correctness," with Aadhaar having an authentication system. The Court questioned the EC's logic of not evaluating claims based on these documents when other "indicative" proofs are accepted.
Key Points
- The Supreme Court directed the Election Commission to prioritize "mass inclusion" in the Bihar electoral roll revision.
- The Court advocated for accepting Aadhaar and EPIC as valid identity proofs, despite EC's concerns about forgery.
- Justices emphasized that Aadhaar and EPIC have a presumption of correctness and Aadhaar has an authentication system.
- The Court questioned the EC's stance, noting that all documents can be forged and other non-conclusive proofs are accepted.
Exam Facts
- The case involves the special intensive revision (SIR) of the electoral list in Bihar.
- Justices Surya Kant and Joymalya Bagchi were part of the bench.
- The EC initially listed 11 'indicative' documents, excluding Aadhaar and EPIC as conclusive proofs.
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