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The Supreme Court on Monday refused to modify its earlier direction requiring the Election Commission of India (ECI) to accept Aadhaar as proof of identity for inclusion in Bihar’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) voter list. The Bench of Justices Surya Kant and Joymlaya Bagchi noted that the order is interim and the question of Aadhaar’s validity as voter ID remains open pending future hearings.

Responding to concerns raised by BJP leader Ashwini Kumar Upadhyay, who argued that Aadhaar cannot be considered proof of citizenship and is even issued to foreigners, the Court explained that other documents often accepted by ECI—such as ration cards and driving licenses—are equally susceptible to forgery. The Bench emphasized that Aadhaar should be used to the extent permitted by law, with its role neither accepted nor rejected at this stage.

The matter highlights ongoing legal debate over proper identification in electoral processes, brought into focus after 65 lakh names were reportedly dropped from the Bihar electoral draft roll. Petitioners questioned the SIR process, and Senior Advocates Gopal Sankaranarayanan and Abhishek Manu Singhvi requested an early merits hearing, while Advocate Prashant Bhushan pointed out alleged lack of disclosure by ECI. The Court asked for briefs on these points before the next hearing on October 7.

Meanwhile, excluded voters can submit their Aadhaar as identity proof for inclusion, and the ECI assured that objections and new claims will be considered until the close of nominations for the upcoming State Assembly elections. The Supreme Court’s approach signals ongoing judicial oversight and openness to further arguments on the use of Aadhaar as voter ID.