Linking Aadhar with Voter IDs

Syllabus : GS 2/Governance 

In News   

• In recent years, India has seen significant debates on linking Aadhaar with voter IDs. 

About the Initiative

• The Government of India started the facility of linking the Aadhar with the Voter ID or Electors Photo Identity Card (EPIC). 
• The EPIC link with Aadhar is the campaign of Govt of India to stop the fraud made in the Voter Poll during the elections.
• There are various discrepancies in the voter system, which can be avoided after linking the Voter ID with the Aadahaar Card.

Benefits in Linking Aadhaar with Voter IDs:

• Reduce Duplicate Voter IDs: Linking Aadhaar helps remove multiple voter IDs issued to one person due to errors or manipulation.
  • Aadhaar assigns a unique identity to individuals and provides online real-time authentication, helping to ensure no duplicate voter IDs.
  • This can help prevent multiple registrations by the same person, especially in cases of domestic migration.
• Enhance Transparency & Integrity: Aadhaar provides real-time verification, reducing impersonation and boosting election credibility.
• Clean Electoral Rolls: It helps identify and remove duplicate or incorrect voter entries, ensuring an accurate voter list.
• Efficient Election Management: It allows easy tracking of voters, reducing errors and fraud in election processes.

EC’s Proposal

• The Election Commission (EC) proposed amendments to the Representation of the People Act, 1950, and voter enrolment forms to delete the provision requiring voters to justify not linking Aadhaar with their Voter ID.
• The Union Law Ministry rejected the proposal, suggesting clarifications would suffice.
• In 2019, the EC again proposed linking Aadhaar with voter rolls.
• The Election Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2021 was passed by Parliament in December 2021, allowing voluntary linking, and the collection of Aadhaar numbers resumed from July 2022.

Challenges

• Privacy Concerns: There is an argument that linking Aadhaar with voter IDs compromises privacy rights, as Aadhaar data would be exposed.
  • without a robust data protection law, sharing Aadhaar data could lead to breaches, including misuse for targeted political advertising.
• Exclusion of Non-Citizens: Aadhaar isn’t proof of citizenship, which may lead to non-citizens being included in the voter list.
• Voter Enrollment Issues: Citizens in rural areas or without Aadhaar may be excluded, and biometric data inaccuracies could cause authentication problems.
• Administrative & Technological Challenges: Aadhaar could help eliminate duplicate voter IDs, it cannot address other electoral issues, such as fraud, manipulation, or human errors in the process.
  • These problems are beyond the reach of technology and require administrative integrity.

 Suggestions and Way Forward 

• Linking Aadhaar with Voter IDs can strengthen elections but requires addressing privacy, inclusivity, and technical challenges.
• Transparent planning and safeguards are key to ensuring a fair, secure, and democratic electoral process.
• The ECI needs to address discrepancies in voter lists and ensure transparency.

Source:TH