The Election Commission of India (EC)’s Chairman, in a latest briefing, has clarified that the Aadhaar card may be used for identity verification, but it cannot serve as proof of citizenship, domicile or date of birth during the nationwide voter-roll revision.
Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar stated that under the Aadhaar Act and the Representation of the People Act, 1950, a person’s Aadhaar card “cannot be considered proof of date of birth or proof of residence or proof of citizenship.”
According to him, although Aadhaar can be accepted “as identity proof”, other documents must be furnished when determining domicile or citizenship during efforts such as the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
The EC’s clarification comes ahead of its SIR exercise, which covers multiple states and union territories and aims at updating voter lists across the country. According to the EC, thousands of Booth-Level Officers will visit households, and new enumeration forms will be used.
For voters, this means: Aadhaar may be submitted as one of the identity documents, but it cannot alone prove their date of birth, domicile, or citizenship status. States and voters will need to ensure additional proof is available when required.
This move is being seen as some strengthening of the legal clarity around Aadhaar and avoiding its misuse as a standalone proof of residence or citizenship.
