Making aadhaar count makes sense

Complying with the Supreme Court's Monday order, EC on Tuesday ruled that Aadhaar will be recognised as one of 12 identity documents for the Bihar SIR exercise. This is a step in the right direction. The top court's order, now extended to all voters, builds on its August 22 directive, which allowed voters excluded from the draft rolls to apply online using Aadhaar, or any of the earlier 11 EC-recognised documents. True, the top court's recent order came after the SIR exercise had concluded, limiting its immediate impact. But it can prove useful if and when SIR is conducted nationwide. EC starts a 2-day conference for chief electoral officers today to assess preparedness for rolling out a nationwide SIR. This will also be helpful to familiarise authorities.

EC's refusal to recognise Aadhaar in the first place was surprising considering it has become the go-to document for citizens and service providers alike. While it's true, as the apex court itself acknowledged, that Aadhaar is not proof of citizenship, the poll panel's other argument - that it can be forged and, therefore, doesn't merit inclusion - doesn't hold water. Forgery is hardly unique to Aadhaar. Every government-issued document, from ration cards to passports, is vulnerable to misuse. Singling Aadhaar out on this ground alone appears inconsistent, especially when it is already the most widely used and accepted form of ID across public and private services.

EC's core mandate is to enfranchise, not exclude. Every step in cleaning up electoral rolls must serve this purpose. By taking an anti-Aadhaar stand, it had only opened itself up to needless accusations of bias. The more constructive path is to work towards ensuring total Aadhaar-legitimacy, rather than sideline it.