By NE NOW NEWS
Guwahati: The Supreme Court on Tuesday issued notices to the Central Government as well as all States and Union Territories on a petition challenging the use of Aadhaar as proof of citizenship, domicile, residence and date of birth in various official processes.
A Bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justice V. Mohan directed the concerned authorities to respond to the allegations raised in the petition, which claims that Aadhaar is being relied upon for purposes beyond those permitted under law. The matter has been linked with similar petitions already pending before the apex court.
The petition, filed by advocate Ashwini Kumar Upadhyay through counsel Ashwani Dubey, seeks directions to governments and the Election Commission of India to restrict Aadhaar’s use strictly to identity verification. It argues that the document should not be accepted as evidence of citizenship, permanent residence, domicile status or age.
According to the plea, the existing practice of accepting Aadhaar details in voter enrolment applications, particularly through Form-6, conflicts with statutory provisions governing Aadhaar and electoral registration. The petitioner has contended that such usage undermines the legal framework established under the Aadhaar Act, 2016, the Representation of the People Act, 1950, and constitutional guarantees of equality.
The petition highlights Section 9 of the Aadhaar Act, which states that possession of an Aadhaar number does not confer citizenship or domicile rights. It also refers to a clarification issued by the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) in August 2023, reiterating that Aadhaar is intended solely as proof of identity.
The plea further alleges that Aadhaar is widely accepted across multiple sectors, including educational admissions, property transactions, issuance of birth certificates, ration cards, driving licences and voter registration, despite the legal limitations on its scope.
Raising concerns over electoral integrity, the petitioner has argued that inadequate verification procedures could create opportunities for ineligible individuals to obtain official documents and potentially secure inclusion in electoral rolls.
Besides seeking restrictions on Aadhaar’s use, the petition calls for a broader overhaul of the voter verification system. It proposes the formation of an independent monitoring panel comprising a retired Supreme Court judge, cybersecurity professionals and forensic experts to examine existing mechanisms and recommend stronger safeguards.
The Supreme Court is expected to take up the matter for further consideration after receiving responses from the Centre, States, Union Territories and other concerned authorities.