Aadhaar as ID: Judicial push for inclusivity in Bihar’s SIR

THE Supreme Court’s directive to the Election Commission (EC) to accept Aadhaar as valid proof of identity in Bihar’s ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) marks an important step in balancing inclusivity and electoral integrity. By recognising Aadhaar as the 12th identity document — alongside ration cards, passports and other proofs — the court has responded to concerns that millions, particularly migrants and the marginalised, risk exclusion for want of cumbersome paperwork. The court’s intervention also exposes troubling lapses in the EC’s functioning. Despite earlier judicial directions, booth-level officers reportedly continued to reject Aadhaar, even penalising those who accepted it. Such defiance not only contradicts the rule of law but also fuels suspicion about the impartiality of electoral management. The EC must issue clear instructions to ensure that its staff do not turn discretion into arbitrary exclusion.