Aadhaar to Voter ID: Jairam Ramesh Asks If It Is Govt Policy
Beneficiaries could be identified by voter ID and biometrics instead of Aadhaar, the minister has said; the opposition fears exclusion where the rolls are being revised.
Image: Wikimedia Commons (file photo, 2012)
Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh on Thursday, 5 November, asked whether replacing Aadhaar with the voter ID card to identify welfare beneficiaries is now the Modi government’s official policy. He was reacting in a post on X to Union Panchayati Raj Minister Rajiv Ranjan Singh, also known as Lalan Singh, who has spoken of the idea twice in recent days, according to ANI and UNI.
What Ramesh Alleged About Exclusion
“Is this now official Modi Govt policy?” Ramesh asked, according to ANI. He argued that if so, Aadhaar would no longer serve its original purpose. He said that “making SIR the basis will end up excluding even more people on a massive scale”, and added that “Vote Chori is just the trailer.” These are the Congress leader’s claims; the government has not responded to them in the reports reviewed.
What the Minister Has Said
Singh spoke at a national workshop on the People’s Plan Campaign 2026-27, organised by the Ministry of Panchayati Raj in New Delhi, and repeated the point to reporters in Gangtok on 3 November, News Karnataka reported. As reported, beneficiaries would be identified through their voter ID (EPIC) number plus biometric verification, and Aadhaar would no longer be the primary basis for payments. The reports say the approach could cut duplicate records and stop ineligible people from getting benefits. They carry no direct quotes from the minister.
Also read Jairam Ramesh Calls EC’s Form 6 Clarification “Word Games”
The Special Intensive Revision Link
The row lands while the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls is under way, and opposition parties have said people left off the rolls could lose access to benefits if voter ID became the key document. The Election Commission has said that flagged entries are not wrongful deletions and that eligible voters can apply for inclusion. IPB has reported on the Form 6 dispute before the Supreme Court, which is due for hearing on 19 November, and on Amit Shah’s Karnal remarks on a special session on SIR.
No Start Date or Scheme List Yet
No notification, start date or list of covered schemes has been published, and it is unclear how people without a voter ID would be treated. The reports also do not say the change removes Aadhaar from existing schemes.
Source: Based on reporting by ANI, UNI and News Karnataka.
Image: Wikimedia Commons (file photo, 2012).
How the SIR (Special Intensive Revision) story developed
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