Supreme Court agrees to examine plea against use of Aadhaar as proof of citizenship, age, domicile

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Tuesday agreed to examine a PIL seeking directions to the Centre, states, Union Territories, and the Election Commission of India (ECI) to ensure that Aadhaar is used only as proof of identity and not as proof of citizenship, domicile, address, or date of birth.

A Bench led by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant issued notices to the Union government, state governments, UTs, the ECI, and the Unique Identification Authority of India on a petition filed by advocate Ashwini Kumar Upadhyay. The matter is scheduled for hearing on August 7.

The petition argues that Section 9 of the Aadhaar Act, 2016 states Aadhaar is not proof of citizenship or domicile, and UIDAI guidelines limit its use to identity verification. Despite this, Aadhaar is allegedly being accepted as proof of age, residence, citizenship, and domicile for various purposes.

The PIL specifically challenges the use of Aadhaar as proof of date of birth and residence in voter registration applications (Form-6), claiming this is inconsistent with the Aadhaar Act, UIDAI guidelines, and election laws.

The petition further contends that since Aadhaar can be issued to residents, including certain foreign nationals, its use as proof of citizenship is inappropriate. It also alleges that weak verification processes enable illegal immigrants to obtain Aadhaar and subsequently secure other official documents and benefits.

The petitioner has sought directions to ensure Aadhaar is used strictly as proof of identity, in accordance with the law. (IANS)

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