The Supreme Court’s order directing the Election Commission of India to accept Aadhaar as one of 12 valid documents for Bihar’s Special Intensive Revision is a vital course correction. It defends the right to vote and rejects red tape that would have disenfranchised lakhs. The Commission’s claim that Aadhaar proves only residence, not citizenship, never stood up to logic. Most of the other accepted papers — barring passports and birth certificates — do not conclusively prove citizenship either. The Court’s answer is measured: Aadhaar may be used, subject to verification.

Facts underlined the urgency. Nearly 90% of Bihar’s people hold Aadhaar; barely 2% have passports. Excluding the former while leaning on the latter would have shut the door on genuine electors, especially among the poor and the marginalised. The rushed revision already struck off more than 65 lakh names. Analysis flagged troubling patterns — women removed in disproportionate numbers, implausible death rates in some areas, and mass “permanent shifts” that looked more like error than truth. The ruling now provides a clear, practical path. It offers a lifeline to those wrongly deleted and a simple option for voters who must verify their entries.

It also vindicates civil society, which warned that the Commission’s stance ignored both law and reality. Crucially, the Court’s move sets a marker for other roll revisions: accuracy and inclusion must outweigh speed. The Commission should pivot at once. Commit to house-to-house verification, clear audit trails and quick, humane grievance redress. Publish weekly data on deletions and restorations. Train field staff and use technology to flag anomalies. Guard privacy: Aadhaar is a means of verification, not a pass to vote. Above all, place citizens at the centre. Electoral rolls are the foundation of democracy. The Court has steadied them; the Commission must now restore trust. Elections deserve nothing less than meticulous care always.