New Delhi, Sep.082025: Aadhaar as 12th document is now the clarified reality after a bold decision by the Supreme Court of India. This ground-breaking ruling ensures that during Bihar’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voter rolls, Aadhaar will be formally acknowledged as the twelfth valid identity proof—empowering millions of voters.
What the Court Ruled
On September 8, 2025, the Supreme Court directed the Election Commission of India (ECI) to treat the Aadhaar as 12th document in Bihar’s SIR process, meaning it now stands alongside the previously recognized eleven documents for voter identity verification.
The Court made two critical clarifications:
- Aadhaar is valid only for identity, not for citizenship proof.
- ECI officials are authorized to verify Aadhaar’s authenticity before acceptance.
Why It Matters- 7 Tremendous Impacts
Boosting Inclusion
Recognizing Aadhaar as 12th document significantly enhances access for marginalized communities who may lack traditional documents, ensuring their democratic participation isn’t hindered.
Fair Enforcement
The ruling closes confusion on enforcement—Booth Level Officers (BLOs) must now accept Aadhaar without demanding other documents, upholding the spirit of fair voter inclusion.
Clarity for ECI
The ECI must issue immediate ground-level instructions, ensuring the directive is implemented swiftly and uniformly across polling booths.
Legal Confirmation
By anchoring acceptance in Section 23(4) of the Representation of the People Act, the Court reaffirmed Aadhaar’s legal standing as a valid identity document.
Checks Against Forgery
While Aadhaar is accepted, the Court mandates ECI to verify its genuineness—balancing inclusive access with procedural integrity.
Speedy Compliance
Critics had flagged slow adoption of Aadhaar acceptance despite prior orders. This explicit, present-tense ruling—“treated as the 12th document”—ensures immediate on-ground adherence.
Upholding Democracy
This verdict is a robust, inclusive move that reinforces democratic values, especially important in Bihar—an electoral battleground with a high migrant and vulnerable voter population.
What Advocates Said
Senior advocate Kapil Sibal (representing RJD) pushed back against BLOs refusing Aadhaar, calling it a “contempt of Court order” and arguing that Aadhaar is nearly universal and must be accepted to prevent voter exclusion.
Justice Bagchi emphasized that aside from passports and birth certificates, none of the eleven earlier documents conclusively prove citizenship—so including Aadhaar is logical for identity verification.
The SIR Controversy
Since the June 24, 2025 SIR notification, Bihar’s voter revision process excluded Aadhaar—and even voter IDs and ration cards—from acceptable documents, creating massive fear of widespread disenfranchisement.
In July and August, the Supreme Court had already advocated for “en masse inclusion, not exclusion”, and asked ECI to consider Aadhaar and EPIC for inclusion claims. On August 14, it ordered publication of the names of 6.5 million removed voters and permitted Aadhaar-based inclusion claims. A key interim relief also happened August 22, allowing online and physical claims backed by Aadhaar.
A Positive Leap Forward
The “Aadhaar as 12th document” ruling marks a bold triumph for voter inclusion. It removes bureaucratic hurdles, reinforces legal clarity, and champions democratic fairness in Bihar’s SIR exercise.
With this powerful decision, the Court ensures that identity—not paperwork scarcity—determines voter access.
