Context:
The Election Commission (EC) announced that the linkage of voter ID cards with Aadhaar will be carried out as per existing laws and Supreme Court directions. The EC confirmed that technical consultations between its experts and UIDAI (Unique Identification Authority of India) will start soon.
High-Level Meeting Held
- The EC met with key officials:
- Union Home Secretary
- Legislative Secretary (Law Ministry)
- MeitY Secretary (Ministry of Electronics and IT)
- UIDAI CEO
- Discussions focused on voter card-Aadhaar seeding.
Clarifications from the Government
- In April 2023, the government informed Rajya Sabha that: Citizens who do not link Aadhaar with voter ID will not have their names removed from electoral rolls.
Constitutional Standpoint
- The EC reiterated: Voting rights are guaranteed only to citizens of India (Article 326 of the Constitution).
- Aadhaar helps establish identity, but not citizenship.
Supreme Court Development
- The Supreme Court noted the EC’s submission that it is open to discussions on publishing booth-wise voter turnout data.
- The SC directed petitioners to submit representations to the EC within 10 days.
Key Takeaways
- Aadhaar linkage will proceed cautiously and legally, with attention to privacy and non-discrimination.
- There will be no automatic deletion of voter names for non-linkage.
- The EC is showing openness to transparency, including potential booth-wise data publication discussions.
- Political and judicial oversight will continue to shape the process.
