In a recent update from the Election Commission (EC), it has come to light that over 60% of India’s approximately 945 million voters have linked their Aadhaar number to their voter identification. The state of Tripura holds the record for the highest rate of Aadhaar linking, with over 92% of voters providing their Aadhaar details to the EC. Following close behind are Lakshadweep and Madhya Pradesh, standing at about 91% and 86% respectively.
However, southern states like Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka show a lower percentage, falling shy of 71%. Furthermore, Tamil Nadu and Kerala stand at around 63% and 61%. Surprisingly, Gujarat shows the lowest Aadhaar registration by voters, with only 31.5% of voters linking the document to their voter registration. Delhi also seems to lag with less than 34% of voters having their Aadhaar linked.
Reasons Behind Linking Voter ID with Aadhaar
The government’s push for Aadhaar-Voter ID linkage stems from a variety of reasons. Primarily, this move is expected to aid the Election Commission in updating and maintaining an accurate record of the voter base. A key objective of this campaign is to weed out duplication of voters, which include migrant workers who may hold registrations in multiple constituencies or people registered more than once within the same constituency.
Another significant reason is the establishment of a pan-India Voter ID. As per the government, the linkage of Aadhaar with voter IDs will ensure that only one Voter ID is issued per citizen of India, thus maintaining data integrity.
Issues and Challenges with Aadhaar and Voter ID Linking
Despite such benefits, Aadhaar-Voter ID linking does present certain challenges. One of which relates to its unclear constitutional position. In the Puttaswamy case, which focused on the Right to Privacy, the Supreme Court examined if mandatory Aadhaar linking with bank accounts was constitutional or not.
Further, the preference for Aadhaar for determining voters is perplexing, as it is primarily proof of residence and not citizenship. Consequently, verifying voter identity using this may eliminate duplication, but it will not remove voters who are not Indian citizens from the electoral rolls.
The Future: Digital Personal Data Protection(DPDP) Bill
As efforts are underway to integrate Aadhaar and Voter ID, the government is also considering enacting the Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Bill, 2022. The DPDP regime must apply to government entities and require them to secure an individual’s explicit consent before sharing their data across various government institutions.
The Aadhaar card continues to be a topic in UPSC Civil Services Examination Previous Year Questions. In 2018, one such question highlighted that the Aadhaar card cannot be used as proof of citizenship or domicile and that once issued, the Aadhaar number cannot be deactivated or omitted by the Issuing Authority. This highlights the role Aadhaar plays in shaping India’s digital landscape.