Aadhaar Not Compulsory To Make Voter ID, But Users Must Justify It To Election Commission
The move is aimed at reinforcing that Aadhaar submission remains voluntary while ensuring compliance with commitments made by the poll body before the Supreme Court.
Voters who choose not to share their Aadhaar details while applying for a voter ID may soon have to explain their reasons before the Election Commission (EC). Under a new proposal, individuals refusing to provide their Aadhaar number will be required to appear before the Electoral Registration Officer (ERO) to justify their decision.
The move is aimed at reinforcing that Aadhaar submission remains voluntary while ensuring compliance with commitments made by the poll body before the Supreme Court.
According to a report by The Indian Express, the proposal was recently deliberated during a high-level meeting attended by officials from the Home, Law, and IT Ministries, as well as the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI).
The new policy could take effect before the Bihar Assembly elections in late 2025 through an amendment to Form 6B. Once the Election Commission submits a formal proposal, the Law Ministry will need to issue a Gazette notification to implement the change.
The EC previously assured the Supreme Court that it would make "clarificatory" changes to voter registration forms to emphasize the voluntary nature of Aadhaar submission. By 2023, the commission collected Aadhaar details from more than 66 crore voters through voluntary submissions.
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Changes Proposed in Form 6B
Form 6B was introduced to gather the Aadhaar numbers from voters for the purpose of electoral roll authentication. However, the current form only provides two options—either submitting the 12-digit Aadhaar number or declaring that the voter does not possess one.
The new proposal discussed on March 18 suggests removing the latter option. Instead, voters unwilling to share their Aadhaar details would need to submit an alternate identification document and physically appear before the ERO on a specified date to explain their stance.
Electoral Registration Officer's Role in the Verification Process
The Electoral Registration Officer, typically a civil service or revenue officer, is tasked with overseeing the preparation, revision, and maintenance of electoral rolls. If the new amendment to Form 6B is enforced, these officers will play a crucial role in verifying the reasons behind a voter’s decision not to share their Aadhaar number.
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