SC Allows Aadhaar as 12th Document for Voter List Inclusion

• 09 Sep 2025

On 8th September 2025, the Supreme Court(SC) directed the Election Commission of India (ECI) to accept the Aadhaar card as a 12th identity document for inclusion in the revised voters’ list of Bihar.

Key Points

• Aadhaar as Stand-Alone Document: The Court held that Aadhaar can be submitted independently as proof of identity for voter list inclusion.
• Clarification on Citizenship: The Court clarified that Aadhaar is not a proof of citizenship.
• Bihar Special Intensive Revision (SIR): The order came in response to petitions during the Bihar SIR, where concerns were raised about non-acceptance of Aadhaar by ECI officials.
• Verification by ECI Officials: The Court permitted ECI officials to verify the authenticity and genuineness of Aadhaar cards submitted by applicants.
• Undertaking by ECI: The Court recorded the ECI’s assurance that Aadhaar would be accepted as valid proof of identity.
• Background: Petitioners, including the RJD, had argued that Aadhaar was being rejected, with officials insisting only on the 11 pre-specified documents listed in the ECI notification.