EC looks to sort out legal issues for swift EPIC-Aadhaar linkage | India News

New Delhi: Chief election commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar’s initiative to name a gathering with the house secretary, legislative division secretary and UIDAI CEO on Tuesday to focus on EPIC-Aadhaar linkage comes towards the backdrop of the notified date for an present elector to voluntarily intimate his Aadhaar quantity to EC having expired nearly a yr in the past.
There has been no extension after March 31, 2024, the deadline final notified by the legislation ministry for present electors to willingly share their Aadhaar particulars with EC, consistent with Section 23 of the Representation of the People Act, 1950, as amended through the Election Laws (Amendment) Act, 2022.
In Feb 2024, the Supreme Court – whereas listening to a plea difficult the statutory type for voter enrolment on the bottom that it left no scope for an applicant issued an Aadhaar quantity however unwilling to furnish it, to submit another identification – had dismissed the plea after being assured by EC that furnishing Aadhaar was not necessary and that it could write to the legislation ministry to amend the RP Act to clear any confusion on this regard. This was after the EC counsel had knowledgeable the apex courtroom that over 66.2 crore electors (as towards the 99 crore at present enrolled) had voluntarily submitted their Aadhaar particulars.
Interestingly, as per legislation ministry’s replies to questions in Parliament, the ballot panel is but to hyperlink the Aadhaar particulars intimated to it with the EPIC database. This linkage is essential to establishing voters’ id through Aadhaar – seen as probably the most error-free methodology to eradicate bogus and duplicate electors because it entails biometric authentication.