AADHAAR-VOTER ID LINKAGE: PROGRESS OR PERIL BY - SUSHMITHA. J
AADHAAR-VOTER ID LINKAGE:
PROGRESS OR PERIL
AUTHORED BY
- SUSHMITHA. J
ABSTRACT:
The linkage of Aadhaar with voter ID has emerged as a
critical focal point in India’s electoral reform discourse. The linkage of Aadhaar
with voter ID in India aims to enhance electoral integrity by eliminating
duplicate registrations and preventing voter impersonation. However, concerns
surrounding mass disenfranchisement, data privacy and technical infrastructure
have sparked debate. From safeguarding the privacy of voters to bolstering
public trust in electoral system, this research offers a transformative
solution that transcends the traditional trade-off between security and
freedom. This study examines the impact of Aadhaar linkage on voter id,
weighing benefits against concerns.
The finding highlights concerns regarding potential
disenfranchisement of marginalized groups and the broader ethical
considerations surrounding biometric data usage. Furthermore, using mixed-methods
approach this paper provides a nuanced understanding of Aadhaar- Voter ID
linkage, highlights the need for balanced policy measures addressing both
electoral integrity and privacy concerns and social inclusivity. This study
undertakes a multi-dimensional examination of Aadhaar linkage with voter ID,
investigating its effectiveness, risks and implications.
By seamlessly blending cutting-edge technologies with
democratic ideals, the paper paves the way for a future where the integrity of
the ballot box is inviolable, and the rights of the individual are sacrosanct.
Keywords: Aadhaar, Voter ID, Electoral integrity, Privacy
concerns, Electoral reforms.
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY:
All data and information present in this research paper are
collected from various reports which are been prepared by national and
international information’s and collected from several authentic websites and
journals relating to Aadhaar – Voter ID linkage. The study is evaluated on the
basis of reviewing several articles, journals and books.
INTRODUCTION:
Recently, the Election Commission of India (ECI) announced
that with the Ministry of Law & Justice, it is considering the integration
of Aadhaar and Voter ID information. The idea is to remove errors from
electoral rolls and to allow migrant workers to vote in elections away from
their home[1].
It claims that such a unified database will eliminate duplication of entries
between Aadhaar and ECI.
Multiple court cases, government committees and public
debates, since then, have significantly shifted India’s data governance needle
towards building a cogent framework on regulating technology. This brief
explores the benefits and issues with the integration of voter ID data with
Aadhaar, keeping the evolution of data governance in India in mind.
This proposal first arose in 2015, which resulted in the ECI
conducting voter seeding[2].
However, questions were raised about whether the ECI had taken voters’ consent
before sharing their data with UIDAI, and the Supreme Court stopped the
exercise saying that Aadhaar’s scope was limited to providing welfare benefits[3].
Nonetheless, 300 million people’s data had already been
seeded. In 2018, the Supreme Court upheld the validity of the Aadhaar Act but
struck down several key provisions. Among these was Section 33(2), which would
have allowed the government to share data in the name of national security.
This was important to curtail use of Aadhaar within government agencies.
Notwithstanding this, the budget session of Parliament in 2020 showed that the
government was pushing for integrating Aadhaar with Voter ID, similar to the
voter purification exercise conducted in 2015[4].
The
Election Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2021 was passed in the Rajya Sabha on
December 21st 2021 amidst
stiff opposition. The Bill will amend s 23 of the
Representation of People Act, 1951, allowing electoral officers to ask
individuals for their Aadhaar number before they are added to the electoral
rolls, and to confirm the identity of voters who are already on the
rolls.
Opponents
of this contentious Bill argue
that it will disenfranchise large swathes of voters across the country and that
it violates the Supreme Court’s jurisprudence on privacy as laid down in Puttaswamy
I (2017) and the Puttaswamy
II (2018).
This
is not the first time that the Central Government has tried to link Aadhaar to
electoral rolls. In February 2015, the Election Commission of India launched a
pilot project to study the linking of Aadhaar with electoral rolls. The
Supreme Court halted this project through an interim order issued
in August of that year during the Court’s hearings in Puttaswamy I,
2017. This case held that the Right to Privacy is guaranteed under the
Constitution of India and created a three-prong
test to assess whether a law violates this Right.
Critics
of this Bill have also pointed to its possible conflict with the Court’s
judgment in the Puttaswamy II. While upholding the constitutionality of
Aadhaar, the Court said that one cannot be excluded from voting for failing to
furnish Aadhaar.
Responding
to critics, Law Minister Kiren Rijiju said that the linking of Aadhar to
electoral rolls is constitutionally valid as it is entirely voluntary. The Bill
mentions that names in the electoral roll shall not be deleted merely because
an individual is unable to furnish their Aadhaar number. However, the
individual will have to show sufficient cause ‘as may be prescribed’. The Law
Minister also claimed that the Bill fulfills the three-prong test laid down in
Puttaswamy[5].
A
state or a central government department can ask the Unique Identification
Authority of India (UIDAI) to allow Aadhaar authentication for “use of
digital platforms to ensure good governance, prevention of dissipation of
social welfare benefits, and enablement of innovation and the spread of
knowledge,” according to the Aadhaar Authentication for Good Governance (Social Welfare, Innovation,
Knowledge) Rules, 2020. The UIDAI is in charge of enrolling people in the
12-digit unique identity number and designing policies, procedures, and systems
for issuing Aadhaar numbers to them. The government can use Aadhaar
authentication to verify a person’s identity before granting them access to
consumer services, subsidies, and other benefits. This can be done with a
one-time pin issued to the Aadhaar number holder’s mobile number or email
address, or with fingerprint or iris-based authentication. However, before
collecting information about an individual’s identification, the government
must obtain their agreement[6].
The
Election Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2021 was passed in the Rajya Sabha on
December 21st 2021 amidst
stiff opposition. The Bill will amend s 23 of the
Representation of People Act, 1951, allowing electoral officers to ask
individuals for their Aadhaar number before they are added to the electoral
rolls, and to confirm the identity of voters who are already on the
rolls.
KEY STAKEHOLDERS:
1.
Electoral Commission of
India(ECI)
2.
Government of India
3.
State Governments
4.
Civil Society Organization
5.
International Organizations
BENEFITS OF LINKING AADHAR WITH
VOTER ID:
·
Elimination of duplicate voter
registrations: linking aadhaar with voter ID helps to eliminate duplicate
registrations, ensuring one person, one vote. Aadhaar’s unique biometric
identification prevents multiple voter Ids.
·
Prevention of voter
impersonation: Aadhaar linkage prevents voter impersonation, as voters must
provide biometric authentication to cast their vote, ensuring only genuine
voters exercise their rights.
·
Accurate voter rolls: Aadhaar
linkage accurate voter rolls, reducing errors and discrepancies. This helps
maintain the integrity of electoral processes.
·
Streamlined voter registration:
linking voter ID simplifies and streamlines the voter registration process,
reducing paperwork and administrative burdens.
·
Reduced electoral fraud:
Aadhaar linkage reduces electoral fraud by preventing bogus voting, booth
capturing and other malicious practices.
·
Enhanced electoral
transparency: linking Aadhaar with voter ID promotes transparency, allowing
citizens to verify their voter registration status and polling station details
online.
·
Improved voter turnout: Aadhaar
linkage helps identify and address voter turnout issues, enabling targeted
initiatives to increase voter participation.
·
Efficient voter verification:
Aadhaaar-based voter verification simplifies the verification process, reducing
queues and waiting times at polling stations.
·
Reduced costs: linking Aadhaar
with voter ID reduces costs associated with voter registration, verification
and electoral administration.
·
Integration with other
government schemes: Aadhaar linkage enables seamless integration with other
government schemes, such as welfare programs and public service.
·
Enhanced security: Aadhaar
linkage provides an additional layer of security, protecting voter data and
preventing unauthorized access.
·
Real-time voter data: linking
Aadhaar with voter ID enables real-time voter data updates, ensuring electoral
rolls remain current.
Whether
linkage is Mandatory:
- In
December 2021, Parliament passed the Election Laws (Amendment) Act, 2021
to amend the Representation of the
People Act, 1950 that inserted section 23(4).
- Section
23(4) states that the electoral registration officer may “for the purpose
of establishing the identity of any person” or “for the purposes of
authentication of entries in electoral roll”, require them to furnish
their Aadhaar numbers.
- To
reflect this amendment, in June 2022, the government notified changes to
the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960. Rule 26B was added to provide
that “every person whose name is listed in the roll may intimate his
Aadhar number to the registration officer”.
- Both
the government and the EC has stated that linkage of the Aadhaar with
Voter ID is optional, this
does not seem to be reflected in Form 6B issued under the new Rule 26B.
- Form
6B provides the voter to either submit their Aadhaar number or any other
listed document. However, the option to submit other listed documents is
exercisable only if the voter is “not able to furnish their Aadhaar number
because they do not have an Aadhaar number”.
- To
that extent, the element of choice
that has been incorporated in the amendments seem to be negated or
at the very least thrown into confusion[7].
Linking your Aadhaar with your Voter ID is not
mandatory, but rather voluntary, the government of india has emphazised the
importance of linking these two documents to authenticate your identity in
electoral rolls and prevent duplicate entries. By linking your Aadhaar with
your voter ID, we can ensure that your’s registered only in one constituency
and avoid any potential issues during the voting process.
CONCERNS ASSOCIATED WITH LINKING AADHAAR WITH
ELECTORAL ROLLS:
·
Challenges with the
Aadhaar database:
1.
There are instances where
fingerprints and even the iris did not match with the Aadhaar database.
2.
The Aadhaar data has data
quality issues and instances of data breaches.
3.
There is no verification
of the authenticity of the demographic information on the Aadhaar
database. For instance, both the Calcutta High Court and the Allahabad
High Court have refused to rely on the authenticity of Aadhaar data.
4.
There is no publicly available
audit report on Aadhaar data efficiency.
·
National Economic Survey
2016-17 mentions that the exclusion rates based on Aadhar authentication errors
are as high as 49% to as low as 5%. So, linking it with electoral rolls might
dilute the sanctity of records in the voter ID database.
·
Violates fundamental
right to privacy: The bill violates the
definition of Privacy held by the Supreme Court in Puttaswamy case.
·
A shift in the burden
of proof: Earlier, the government proactively
ensured the registration on the electoral rolls (such as through house-to-house
verification) to achieve the universal adult franchise. But the burden now
shifts to individuals who may be unable/unwilling to link their Aadhaar to
justify their retention on the rolls.
·
Inability to check
non-citizens from voting: As mentioned in the
Aadhaar Act, Aadhaar is not proof of citizenship. But voting can only be done
by citizens. So, demanding Aadhaar for Voter ID will not prevent non-citizens
from voting.
·
Issues with demographic
information: Any attempts to link Aadhaar to
the voter IDs would lead to demographic information. Critics argue that the
government can use voter identity details for “disenfranchising some people and
profile the citizens”. Further, It could lay the foundation of targeted
political propaganda and commercial exploitation of private
sensitive data, which is against the model code of conduct.
For
example, In 2018, the chief electoral officer of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh
linked Aadhaar data with voter identity cards. According to activists, people
found out that at least 5.5 million voters had been disenfranchised. The
government later rolled it back.
·
Without making it
mandatory, the linking will not yield any results: The foresaid government benefits will only happen if furnishing of
Aadhaar is mandatory.
·
Voters might lose their
franchise: The government does not define
“sufficient cause” for not linking Aadhaar. If an individual’s refusal to
submit the detail is deemed “unacceptable”, it may result in loss of franchise.
·
Conflict of Interest: Maintenance of the voters’ lists is a primary responsibility of
the ECI, which is an independent constitutional body. Whereas Aadhaar is a
government instrument and UIDAI is under government control. Since the ECI has
no control over either enrolment or deduplication in Aadhaar there might be a
conflict of interest.
·
Other issues: The proposal fails to specify the extent of data sharing between
the ECI and UIDAI databases, the methods through which consent will be
obtained, and does not specify whether the consent can be revoked or not[8].
OPERATIONAL DIFFICULTIES:
- Aadhaar
is not a citizenship proof: The preference to Aadhaar for the purposes of
determining voters is puzzling as Aadhaar is only a proof of residence and
not a proof of citizenship.
- Excluding
non-citizens is not easy: Verifying voter identity against this will only help in
tackling duplication but will not remove voters who are not citizens of
India from the electoral rolls.
- Estimate
of error rates in biometric based authentication: This certainly differs. As per
the UIDAI in 2018, Aadhaar based biometric authentication had a 12% error
rate.
- Disenfranchisement
of existing voters: Errors have led to the disenfranchisement of around 30 lakh voters
in AP and Telangana before the Supreme Court stalled the process of
linkage.
POSSIBLE DANGERS OF LINKING AADHAAR-VOTER ID
This
Bill has come up with a lot of questions in your mind. Several opposition
leaders, lawyers, and privacy rights activists have raised concerns about the
Bill. They are concerned about the misuse of Election Laws (Amendment)
Bill, 2021. The major problems of linking Aadhaar to the Voter ID
include[9]
1. Absence of a Law to Protect Personal Data
Justice
(retired) BN Srikrisna, who was the chairman of the Committee that drafted the
Personal Data Protection Bill, considered the proposal the “Most Dangerous
Situation”. PDPB seeks to govern the collection, recording, indexing and even
disclosing of personal data. Justice Srikrisna further added that it is
completely wrong to introduce policies which involve citizens’ data in the
absence of proper law related to data protection.
2. Lack of Clarity on the Mechanism of Integration
“if
[the government] can collate the data, [it] can profile human beings. The
absence of robust data protection standards and the fractured experience of
previous integrations highlight the precariousness of this move. Instead, we
would argue that until the PDPB is enacted, and the technical details of such
an integration are made available to the public, this proposal should not move
forward” said Justice Srikrisna.
3. Possibility of Disenfranchisement of Voters
As per
the sources, the move can lead to abuse and undermine the integrity of the
voter roll in the absence of Personal Data Protection law. Using demographic
information such as a driving license or caste certificate to obtain an Aadhaar
card could be harnessed by the EPIC database. Ultimately, this information
could be used for targeted political campaigning and possibly,
disenfranchisement.
4. Danger of Leaks
The
activists are concerned about the privacy part considering the 2019 leak of
Aadhaar data of 7.8 crore residents from the states of Andhra Pradesh and
Telangana. The data was also linked to the voter database. It was alleged that
it was being used for voter profiling and target campaigning.
5. Problematic Clause
There
is one clause that makes the opponents more worried which says, “No application
for inclusion of name in the electoral roll shall be denied and no entries in
the electoral roll shall be deleted for inability of an individual to furnish
or intimate Aadhaar number.”
The
provision is qualified with the phrase “due to such sufficient cause as may be
prescribed”.
The
concern raised in that case is that the phrase gives the power to the Union
government to stipulate the “sufficient cause” for which a person will be
exempted from producing their Aadhaar. These individuals could be allowed to
produce an alternative document that may be prescribed later by the central
government.
A
Precedent for an Absolute Fail Of A Drive To Link Aadhaar-Voter ID
The
efforts to link the Aadhar Card with the Voter ID had started in 2015. IDs of
over 30 Crore people have been linked before the initiative was stayed by the
Supreme Court considering a plea challenging the constitutionality of Aadhaar.
In
2015, the Election Commission had linked Aadhaar to the Voter ID list.
Following that move, over 55 lakh names were deleted from the voter database of
two states, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh.
In
March 2015, the Election Commission of India had launched a National Electoral
Roll Purification and Authentication Programme to link the Aadhaar to Voter IDs
and delete the names that had been duplicated.
Taking
note of the plea challenging constitutionality of Aadhaar, Supreme Court issued
an interim order. The order prohibited use of Aadhaar for any purpose other
than Public Distribution Scheme, cooking oil and LPG distribution scheme. As
per reports, over 30 crore voter IDs were linked during that three-month drive.
The
disaster came to light three years later in 2018. During the 2018 Assembly
elections in Telangana, lakhs of voters found their names missing from the
voter list. The opposition estimated that list to be 27 lakh voters and some
have reported the figure to be 30 lakh.
A
similar incident was reported in Andhra Pradesh when out of a total voter base
of 3.71 crore voters, over 20 lakh voters found their names missing from the
voter list.
Election
officials claimed it to be a result of the migration of voters between states
due to the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh in 2014 or the deletion of duplicate
names. However, research done by media houses proved the claims false and
suggested that the deletions occurred due to Aadhaar-Voter ID linking.
A
right to information report revealed that there was no proper door-to-door
verification of voters whose names were to be deleted.
213
Ration Card Samples Deleted After Linked To Aadhaar Card
In a
study conducted by Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab, it was found that 213
ration card samples were deleted after Aadhaar was linked to ration cards in
Jharkhand during 2016-2017. Among them, only 12 % were the legitimate deletion
while 88 % belonged to the families who had valid claims to the cards[10].
CASES:
Andhra
Pradesh case of data leak[11]: A first
information report (FIR) was filed against IT Grids Pvt. Ltd. for illegally
storing and using the Aadhar data of people. The complaint was made by the
Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI).
After
the YSR Congress filed a complaint against the TDP’s ‘Seva Mitra’ mobile app,
the company was investigated by the authorities. IT Grids is a Telugu Desam
Party (TDP) affiliated company.
Forensic
investigations, following multiple raids by the Cyberabad Police on the
Madhapur office of IT Grids, were carried out on the materials recovered. The
Telangana State Forensic Science Laboratory (TSFSL) concluded in its initial
investigation that the corporation was storing the data of 7.8 crore people from Telangana and Andhra Pradesh using
Amazon Web Services’ cloud storage services. Through the company, the Telugu
Desam Party allegedly exploited the Seva Mitra application for voter profiling.
The
application included voter information, including images, as well as more area
for TDP volunteers to collect additional field data. It also contained
information about government subsidy recipients, implying (but not confirming)
that personal information was obtained from official databases.
Meanwhile,
the TDP maintained its position that all data were gathered legally, mostly
through surveys conducted by the party officials with voters’ approval. Perhaps
most importantly, the investigation conducted by the officials showed that the
data stored by IT Grids were strikingly similar to those used by
Aadhaar-centric databases such as the State Resident Data Hubs (SRDH) and the
Central Identities Data Repository (CIDR).
No legitimate cause (duplicate
IDs)
In
2010, the undivided Andhra Pradesh was one of the first States to accept the
Aadhaar project, as part of the UIDAI’s early experimentation with the
initiative. Not only the central identities data repository (CIDR) is the only database that contains the information
regarding the project, rather the Aadhar programme itself has many databases to
store the information about the programme. The UIDAI has assisted numerous
states, including Andhra Pradesh, in developing State Resident Data Hubs (SRDH)
over the years.
The
process included working UIDAI with state governments to gather Aadhaar
enrolment data, with the possibility for states to obtain additional personal
information through a system called Know Your Resident Plus (KYR Plus).
Following the deduplication process, the UIDAI actively shared all Aadhaar
numbers against enrolment EIDs, as well as 44 additional criteria. This was
sent to states in the form of excel sheets for storage in their SRDHs in some
situations.
Through
the programme “Smart Pulse Survey”, the Andhra Pradesh’s government has also
been aggressively gathering data from its inhabitants. The survey uses Aadhaar
to create a 360-degree profile database known as “People Hub” (an SRDH), which
is part of the state’s “e-Pragati” real-time governance system.
Andhra
Pradesh, in essence, keeps track of everyone’s Aadhaar data and links it to
every other database for the real-time government. As part of the e-KYC of
every person in the state, the geo-location of everyone in the state was also
acquired. Almost every government official in the state has access to the SRDH
portal. The issue is that all of this information has been made public for
years, and multiple data leak complaints have been filed with both the UIDAI
and the AP government[12].
In this case the supreme court upheld Aadhaar’s
constitutionality but emphasized data protection concerns. The court ruled that
Aadhaar’s benefits outweighed potential risks, but stressed the need for robust
data protection frameworks[13].
Highlights[14]:
- Puttaswamy
judgment:The
above reasons do not suffice the mandating of Aadhaar except in limited
circumstances as per the Puttaswamy judgment.
- Indispensability
of the purpose:It
needs to be considered whether such mandatory linkage of Aadhaar with
Voter ID would pass the test of being “necessary and proportionate” to the
purpose of de-duplication which is sought to be achieved.
- Constitutional
ambiguity:In
Puttaswamy, one of the questions that the Supreme Court explored was
whether the mandatory linking of Aadhaar with bank accounts was
constitutional or not.
- Against
informational autonomy: It is the right to privacy which would allow a person to
decide which official document they want to use for verification and
authentication.
- Disenfranchisement: Some fear that linking Aadhaar
with Voter IDs may exclude certain groups of people, such as those who do
not have an Aadhaar card.
In lok prahari vs. Union of
India (2018), supreme court allowed linking Aadhaar with voter ID for electoral
refoems. The court
held that Aadhar linkage would help in eliminating duplicate voter
registrations and prevent electoral fraud[15].
Delhi high court rejected PIL
challenging Aadhaar-voter
ID linkage. The court ruled that Aadhaar linkage was voluntary and did not
infringe on citizens’ rights[16]
In this case the supreme court upheld the voluntary nature of
Aadhaar linkage, reinforcing concerns about mandatory requirements for voter ID[17].
Sree K. Ramachandran vs. Union of India (2021): case
examining the implications of Aadhaar linkage on Electoral rights, highlighting
potential discrimination. This case is particulary significant as it raises
concerns about voluntary nature of Aadhaar linkage, with reports suggesting the
booth level officers(BLOs) are coercion voters into linking their Aadhaar with
their voter Ids[18].
STUDIES AND
REPORT:
1. “Aadhaar- Based voter verification: A
study” (2019)- Researchers found 99.5% success rate in Aadhaar- based voter
verification[19]. The
study highlighted benefits of Aadhaar linkage, including reduced electoral
fraud and improved voter turnout.
2. “Electoral reforms and
Aadhaar”(2020): study by centre for accountability and systematic change (CASC)
highlighted benefits and concerns[20].
The report emphasized the need for robust data protection frameworks.
3. “Data Protection and Aadhaar-Voter ID
Linkage”(2020): Report by Internet Freedom Foundation (IFF) raised data
security concerns[21].
The report highlighted potential risks of Aadhaar linkage, including
surveillance and profling.
INTERNATIONAL COMPARISONS:
§ “Biometric Voter Verification: Global
Experience” (2019): Study by International Foundation for Electoral System
(IFES) analyzed biometric voter verification systems worldwide[22].
The report heighted best practices and challenges.
§ “Aadhaar and Electoral Reforms:
Lessons from International Experience”(2020): Research by Observer Research
Foundation (ORF) compared Aadhaar with International ID systems[23].
This report highlighted benefits and concerns of Aadhaar-voter ID linkage.
EMERGING TRENDS:
·
Digital
Voter Verification: shift towards digital voter verification using
Aadhaar-based authentication.
·
Data
analytics: increased use of data analytics to improve voter turnout and
electoral processes.
·
Blockchain
technology: Exploration of blockchain technology for secure and transparent
electoral processes.
·
Artificial
Intelligence: Integration of AI for voter registration, verification and
electoral administration.
·
Mobile
Voting: Pilot projects for mobile voting using Aadhaar-based authentication.
·
Biometric
data usage: Enhanced focus on biometric verification methods to streamline the
voting process.
·
Public
Awareness Campaigns: Rising Awareness among citizens regarding the implications
of Aadhaar linkage on voting rights.
CURRENT STATUS:
I.
INDIA:
·
Over
95% of eligible voters linked their Aadhar with voter ID.
·
Electoral Commission of India(ECI) plans to
achieve 100% linkage.
·
Aadhaar-based voter verification successful in
several state elections.
II.
GLOBAL:
·
Biometric
voter verification gaining transaction worldwide.
·
International
organizations promoting electoral reforms through technology.
·
Countries
like Kenya, Ghana and Nigeria implementing biometric voter verification.
FUTURE DIRECTIONS:
1. Strengthening data protection
frameworks.
2. Improving voter education and
awareness.
3. Enhancing technical infrastructure.
4. Exploring innovative technologies for
electoral processes.
OPPORTUNITIES:
1. Enhanced electoral integrity:
improved accuracy of voter lists can reduce fraud and increase public trust in
the electoral process.
2. Streamlined voting process: faster
verification at polling stations can lead to reduced wait times and increased
voter participation.
3. Policy development: scope for
creating robust frameworks that balanced security with individual rights.
4. Innovative solutions: Development of
alternative methods for identity verification that are inclusive and secure.
RECENT DEVELOPMENTS:
·
ECI’s
plan to introduce digital voter ID cards.
·
Supreme
court’s ruling on Aadhaar’s constitutionality.
·
Launch
of voter verification mobile app.
Suggestions:
Policy review: conduct a comprehensive reviw of the Aadhaar
linkage policy to address privacy concerns and ensure it aligns with
constitutional rights.
Inclusive Access: implement measures to guarantee that all
eligible voters, especially marginalized groups, have access to Aadhaar and can
participate in elections without unreasonable barriers.
Public awareness campaigns: launch initiatives to educate
citizens about their rights concerning Aadhaar and the voting process to
enhance informed participation.
Data security measures: establish robust dta protection
frameworks to secure biometric information and prevent misuse.
Alternative verification methods: explore and develop
additional methods for voter identification that complement Aadhaar and ensure
inclusivity.
CONCLUSION:
The linkage of Aadhaar with voter ID represents a significant
shift in India’s electoral framework, aiming to enhance the integrity and
efficiency of the voting process. While it offers the potential to streamline
voter verification and reduce fraud, it also raises critical concerns about
privacy, data security and risk of disenfranchising vulnerable populations.
The ongoing legal debates and challenges highlight the
necessity for a careful balance between technological advancement and the
protection of individual rights.
[1] ‘EC Moots Linking Aadhaar with
Voter ID, Law Ministry Tells LS’, The Hindu, 5 March 2020, sec. National,
https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/ec-moots-linking-aadhaar-with-voter-id-law-ministry-tells-ls/article30992455.ece.
[2] Voter seeding is a process which
involves linking Aadhaar numbers to the Election Photo ID Database as part of
the National Electoral Roll Purification and Authentication (NERPAP), with the
intention to ‘clean up’ India’s electoral rolls to prevent voter fraud.
[3] Writ Petition 494 of 2012, Justice
K.S.Puttaswamy (Retd) & ... vs Union of India & Ors on 11 August, 2015
[4] EC Moots Linking Aadhaar with
Voter ID, Law Ministry Tells LS.’
[5]
https://www.scobserver.in/journal/aadhaar-link-to-voter-lists-what-has-the-supreme-court-said/
[6]https://thc.nic.in/Central%20Governmental%20Rules/Aadhaar%20Authentication%20for%20Good%20Governance%20(Social%20Welfare,%20Innovation,%20Knowledge)%20Rules,%202020.pdf
[7]
https://www.insightsonindia.com/2022/08/29/the-concerns-around-the-aadhaar-voter-id-linkage/
[8]
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[9]
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[10]
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[11]
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[12] https://article-14.com/post/govt-has-cleared-linking-of-aadhaar-voter-data-past-experience-reveals-how-it-can-be-manipulated-61c937a621c09
[13] Justice K.S. Puttaswamy and Anr. vs. Union of India
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[14] https://www.civilsdaily.com/news/concerns-with-linking-aadhaar-with-voter-ids/
[15] AIR 2018
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[16] Delhi High Court. (2018). Indian
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[17] Binoy Viswam vs Union of India,
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[18] www.scobserver.in
[19] Research gate.(2019).Aadhar-Based
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[20] Centre for Accountability and
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[21] Internet Freedom Foundation
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[22] International Foundation for
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[23] Observer Research Foundation
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