Supreme Court Rules Forgery Risks Cannot Exclude Aadhaar from Voter Identity Verification
The Supreme Court rejected arguments that Aadhaar should be dropped from voter identity verification due to forgery risks. The Court noted that even passports, which are issued through private agencies, can be forged. Justice Bagchi clarified that while Aadhaar is a document of identity for 'good governance' and targeted delivery of subsidies under the 2016 Act, it is not proof of citizenship. The Court referred to Section 23 of the Representation of the People Act, 1950, which allows citizens to furnish Aadhaar numbers for establishing identity in electoral rolls during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise.
Key Points
- Forgery risks are not sufficient grounds to exclude Aadhaar from the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls.
- Aadhaar is established as a document of identity, not a proof of citizenship or domicile.
- Section 23 of the Representation of the People Act, 1950, permits the use of Aadhaar for identity establishment.
- The Aadhaar Act of 2016 defines a 'resident' as an individual who has been in India for at least 182 days.
Exam Facts
- Section 23 of the Representation of the People Act, 1950.
- Section 2(v) of the Aadhaar Act 2016 defines 'resident' as 182 days of presence.
- Aadhaar is considered the 12th 'indicative' document for voter verification.
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