Aadhaar Not Proof Of Citizenship Or Birth, Say ECI Sources Amid Bihar Voter List Review Row
On Friday, the poll body issued a statement that it is aiming to release the draft electoral rolls for Bihar on August 1 and the final version by September 30
As political parties question the exclusion of Aadhaar as a valid document during the special intensive revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, sources in the Election Commission of India (ECI) clarified that the twelve-digit unique identity number is not proof of citizenship or birth but only establishes that the 10 fingerprints, photograph, and iris scan are those of the person named on the card.
An ECI official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told News18 that some political parties, including the Trinamool Congress, have strongly objected to linking Aadhaar with the Electoral Photo Identity Card (EPIC), citing legal and constitutional concerns.
'Aadhaar is merely a proof of identity—not of citizenship, date of birth, or place of birth—as clearly stated on the card itself," the official said.
Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav raised the question of the exclusion of Aadhaar through the media and also in a Hindi editorial earlier this week.
ECI sources, when asked, said that Aadhaar just defines identity.
'It is written on every Aadhaar card in bold that 'Aadhaar is proof of identity', not of citizenship or date of birth," they said.
Questions have also been asked about the pace of the revision process. Yadav, serving as the leader of the opposition in Bihar, also claimed that the last SIR in the state in 2003 took two years to complete, while the poll body is rushing the process this time.
The ECI official clarified that the SIR in Bihar follows the same 31-day schedule for form distribution and collection as the 2002 revision.
'Printing, distribution, and collection of enumeration forms during the last intensive revision in Bihar in 2002 was done between July 15 and August 14, or 31 days. The current SIR is also giving a 31-day window for printing, distribution, and collection of enumeration forms, between June 24 and July 26," the official explained.
The enumeration was carried out in 2002 with a qualifying date of January 1, 2003.
Earlier this week, News18 spoke with Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar, who assured that the SIR in Bihar was initiated to ensure that no eligible voter is excluded and no ineligible entry makes it into the rolls.
On Friday, the poll body issued a statement that it is aiming to release the draft electoral rolls for Bihar on August 1 and the final version by September 30.
So far, nearly 87% (6.86 crore) of Bihar's 7.90 crore voters have received enumeration forms during the SIR and 1.5 crore households have already been covered in the first round of visits by booth-level officers (BLOs).
The term of the Bihar assembly is ending in November, and an election is likely to be held before that.
First Published:
July 05, 2025, 01:16 IST
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