Linking Aadhaar with Voter ID - Election Commission's High-Level Meeting

What’s in Today’s Article?

• Elector’s Photo Identity Card (EPIC) Latest News
• Elector’s Photo Identity Card (EPIC) 
• Opposition Concerns and Allegations
• Conclusion
• Elector’s Photo Identity Card (EPIC)FAQ’s

Elector’s Photo Identity Card (EPIC) Latest News

• The Election Commission of India (EC) is set to meet with officials from the Union Home Ministry, Law Ministry, and the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) to discuss linking Aadhaar numbers with Voter ID cards. 
• This comes in light of electoral roll irregularities flagged by the Opposition.

Elector’s Photo Identity Card (EPIC) 

• About: Provided to all registered voters as an identification document, however, it does not confer voting rights unless the voter's name is listed in the electoral roll.
• Issuance of EPIC: Introduced in 1993 and are distributed by state governments, the issuance of EPIC is governed by the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960.
• EPIC number:
  • Each EPIC number is a unique 10-digit alphanumeric code composed of: 3 alphabetic characters, anda 7-digit numeric sequence.
  • It serves as a unique identifier linking a voter to their photo, constituency, and polling station.
  • It is designed to prevent voter impersonation and electoral fraud and is generated via ERONET (since 2017), which is a web-based platform for automating the electoral roll process in multiple languages and scripts.
• Issues with EPIC numbers: ECI admitted that duplicate EPIC numbers occurred due to manual data entry and decentralized systems before ERONET, and assured that ERONET 2.0 would be updated to eliminate duplicate EPIC numbers.

Background of Aadhar-Voter ID Linking

• 2015 Supreme Court (SC) ruling: Aadhaar linking with the Elector’s Photo Identity Card (EPIC) was halted following a SC order stating Aadhaar was not mandatory for availing government benefits.
• 2021 amendment: The Representation of the People Act, 1951 was amended to allow Aadhaar-EPIC linking.
• 2022 collection begins: EC started collecting Aadhaar details voluntarily but has not used them for electoral roll revisions.

Purpose of Aadhaar-Voter ID Linking

• Eliminating duplicate voter registrations: Aadhaar numbers would help detect multiple registrations and clean electoral rolls.
• Ensuring electoral roll integrity: Aimed at preventing electoral fraud and manipulation.

Key Meeting Details Scheduled for March 18, 2025

• Participants: Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar and Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi with Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan, Legislative Department Secretary Rajiv Mani, and UIDAI CEO Bhuvnesh Kumar.
• Agenda: Discussing Aadhaar seeding with EPIC amid allegations of voter list irregularities.

Opposition Concerns and Allegations

• Allegations of voter list manipulation:
  • Trinamool Congress (TMC): Claims identical EPIC numbers exist in multiple states.
  • Rahul Gandhi and INDIA Bloc: Raised concerns about electoral roll discrepancies in Parliament.
• EC’s Response:
  • Acknowledged errors in EPIC numbering.
  • Assured correction of duplicate EPICs within three months.
  • Stated that having identical EPIC numbers does not necessarily indicate fake voters.

Government and EC Stand

• Voluntary nature of Aadhaar-EPIC linkage:
  • As per the Law Ministry (2024), Aadhaar submission remains voluntary.
  • Form 6B provides only two options: submitting Aadhaar or declaring non-availability.
• Existing data collection:
  • As of January 2025, India has 99 crore registered voters.
  • 66.23 crore Aadhaar numbers collected as per Supreme Court directives.
• Upcoming de-duplication process:
  • EC to update software to identify and replace duplicate EPIC cards.
  • New EPICs will be issued in non-election states.

Conclusion

• The EC’s meeting aims to address concerns regarding electoral integrity through Aadhaar-EPIC linkage. 
• While the Opposition sees it as a delayed reaction, the EC maintains that the process will enhance the credibility of electoral rolls. 
• The outcome of the discussions could impact future electoral processes and reforms.

Elector’s Photo Identity Card (EPIC) FAQs

Q1. What is the legal basis for linking Aadhaar with Voter ID in India?

Ans. The linking was enabled by the 2021 amendment to the Representation of the People Act, 1951, allowing voluntary collection of Aadhaar numbers for electoral roll verification.

Q2. What are the key objectives of linking Aadhaar with EPIC?

Ans. The primary objectives are to eliminate duplicate voter registrations, enhance electoral roll integrity, and prevent electoral fraud.

Q3. What concerns have been raised by the Opposition regarding voter list irregularities?

Ans. Opposition parties, including TMC and the INDIA bloc, have alleged manipulation of voter lists, citing cases of identical EPIC numbers across multiple states.

Q4. How has the Election Commission responded to allegations of duplicate EPIC numbers?

Ans. The EC acknowledged the issue, clarified that identical numbers do not imply fake voters, and announced a three-month plan to issue new EPICs in non-election states.

Q5. What is the current status of Aadhaar-EPIC linkage in terms of implementation?

Ans. As of January 2025, the process remains voluntary, with 66.23 crore Aadhaar numbers collected out of 99 crore registered voters, and EC has yet to use Aadhaar for electoral roll revisions.

Source: IE