E-Paper
Bihar SIR: These 11 documents and Aadhaar valid for electoral roll exercise
Voters in Bihar’s SIR exercise can now submit Aadhaar or any one of 11 specified documents as proof for inclusion in the electoral roll.
The Supreme Court on Friday directed the Election Commission of India (ECI) to make the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar more voter-friendly, directing the agency to accept Aadhaar or any one of 11 specified documents for inclusion of names.
A bench of Justices Surya Kant and Joymalya Bagchi also instructed the poll body to allow voters to submit claims both physically and through online mode during the SIR process.
“Transparency will create voter confidence,” the bench observed while hearing petitions challenging the removal of voters from Bihar’s rolls.
List of 11 documents to be accepted for SIR
According to a notification by Election Commission of India dated 24th June 2025, any one of the following 11 documents as proof for inclusion in the electoral roll:
- Identity card/Pension Payment Order issued to regular employee/pensioner of Central/State Govt./PSU
- Identity card/Certificate/Document issued in India by Govt./local authorities/Banks/Post Office/LIC/PSUs before 01.07.1987
- Birth Certificate issued by competent authority
- Passport
- Matriculation/Educational certificate from recognised Boards/universities
- Permanent Residence certificate issued by competent State authority
- Forest Right Certificate
- OBC/SC/ST or any caste certificate issued by competent authority
- National Register of Citizens (wherever it exists)
- Family Register prepared by State/Local authorities
- Land/house allotment certificate by Government
The court clarified that where an extract of the Electoral Roll of Bihar with qualifying date January 1, 2003, is used, it will be treated as sufficient proof.
Protests over Bihar SIR
The SIR exercise has triggered political controversy in Bihar after opposition parties alleged that names of genuine voters were being deleted without proper verification. They argued that Aadhaar, a widely held document, was not being accepted as identity proof in the process.
The apex court had earlier asked the ECI to publish the names of deleted voters by August 19 and file a compliance report by August 22. The bench noted that making the details public would counter the “narrative being built” against the poll body.
The revision of electoral rolls in Bihar—the first since 2003—has reduced the state’s voter list from 7.9 crore to 7.24 crore.
