Aadhaar number not mandatory to register as voter: Poll panel to Supreme Court

Mangalore Today News Network

New Delhi, Sep 22, 2023: The Election Commission of India (ECI) told the Supreme Court that it will issue appropriate clarificatory changes in the registration of electoral rolls. The changes, as per the poll panel, will no longer mandate an adult to insert the details of their Aadhaar number for the purpose of electoral roll authentication.

 

Currently, Forms 6 and 6B (for registration as a voter) require those details. The Election Commission told the Supreme Court that an Aadhaar number is sought in the columns during the process of voter registration only to confirm identity as a voter. But it is not that without this, a voter ID card cannot be made, the poll panel told the top court.

The poll panel submitted before a bench, headed by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud and comprising Justices JB Pardi Vala and Manoj Misra, that the details of the Aadhaar number were not mandatory under Rule 26-B of the Registration of Electors (Amendment) Rules 2022.

The ECI thereafter gave an undertaking to the top court stating a clarification would be issued soon.

It came during the hearing on a petition pointing out concerns related to Form 6 i.e. Application Form for fresh voters and Form 6B i.e. Letter of Information of Aadhaar number for the purpose of electoral roll authentication of the ECI forms for registration of new voters.

The petition has been initiated by Telangana Pradesh Committee senior vice-president G Niranjan. The petition sought clarificatory changes to Rule 26B of the Registration of Electors (Amendment) Rules 2022.

Lawyers representing the ECI also told the court that 66,23,00,000 Aadhaar numbers had already been uploaded for authentication and are in the process of finalising electoral rolls.

Based on the undertaking by the ECI, the petition was disposed by the Supreme Court.

Courtesy: India Today