ECI Tells SC Aadhaar, Voter ID & Ration Cards Not Reliable for Bihar Electoral Roll Revision

The Election Commission of India has informed the Supreme Court that documents like Aadhaar, voter ID (EPIC), and ration cards cannot be accepted as reliable proof for the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar. In a detailed affidavit filed on July 21–22, 2025, the ECI argued:

EPICs are based on previous rolls and relying on them undermines the de novo exercise of creating fresh voter lists.

Aadhaar cards only establish identity—not citizenship—and thus cannot prove voter eligibility under Article 326 of the Constitution.

Ration cards are prone to forgery; the government has already scrubbed around 5 crore fake cards from records.


The ECI underscored that while these may supplement identity verification, they do not confirm eligibility. It maintains full constitutional authority (Article 324) to set acceptable documentation standards and clarified that losing voting rights does not equate to losing citizenship.

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Next Hearing: July 28, 2025
Context: Supreme Court earlier suggested consideration of these documents for SIR; ECI responded with concerns over integrity and authenticity.