Context
The Supreme Court rejected the argument that Aadhaar should be excluded from voter identity verification during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR), stating that forgery risk applies to all documents, including passports, and cannot be a ground to drop Aadhaar.
Aadhaar
• What: Aadhaar is a 12-digit unique identity number issued by UIDAI.
• Legal basis: Aadhaar Act, 2016.
• Purpose: Proof of identity, not proof of citizenship or domicile.
• Eligibility: Residents of India (including foreigners residing for 182 days or more).
• Use: Identity verification for welfare delivery, services, and governance efficiency.
• Safeguard: Cannot be used as conclusive proof of citizenship (Section 9).
• Key point (SC): Possibility of forgery is not a valid reason to exclude Aadhaar from verification processes.
