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Supreme Court Seeks Response on Biometric Voter Verification PIL

The Supreme Court has issued a notice to the Centre, Election Commission, and states on a PIL advocating for fingerprint and iris-based biometric identification of voters at polling stations to prevent fraud. The bench, led by CJI Surya Kant, clarified that such a measure cannot be implemented for the impending assembly elections in some states, noting it would require major regulatory changes and impose a significant financial burden. The petition argues that biometric authentication is necessary to curb malpractices like bribery, personation, and ghost voting, thereby ensuring the principle of "one citizen, one vote". The court will examine whether this system can be adopted for future parliamentary and state legislature elections.

Key Points: SC Notice on Biometric Voter Verification PIL to Curb Fraud

  • SC issues notice on biometric voter verification PIL
  • Aims to curb bribery and duplicate voting
  • Implementation requires major rule changes
  • Not applicable for upcoming state polls
2 min read

SC issues notice on PIL seeking biometric voter verification to curb electoral fraud

Supreme Court issues notice on PIL seeking fingerprint and iris-based voter ID at polls to prevent electoral malpractices like duplicate voting.

"Prima facie, the nature of reliefs cannot be considered for the ensuing elections - Supreme Court Bench"

New Delhi, April 13

The Supreme Court on Monday issued notice to the Centre, the Election Commission of India and all states on a Public Interest Litigation seeking implementation of fingerprint and iris-based biometric identification of voters at polling stations to curb electoral malpractices.

A Bench of Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi passed the order while hearing a petition filed by advocate Ashwini Kumar Upadhyay.

Issuing a notice, the CJI Kant-led Bench made it clear that the relief sought in the petition cannot be considered for the ensuing Assembly elections in certain states.

"Prima facie, the nature of reliefs cannot be considered for the ensuing elections in some of the states. However, whether such a recourse deserves to be followed for the next parliamentary elections and/or elections of state legislatures needs to be examined," the apex court said.

During the hearing, the CJI Kant-led Bench remarked that implementation of such a mechanism would require "major changes in rules" and entail a "huge financial burden".

The plea contended that fingerprint and iris biometric authentication at polling booths would help curb bribery, undue influence, personation, duplicate voting, ghost voting and other electoral malpractices.

It stated that despite various steps taken by the poll body, instances of electoral fraud continue to persist, undermining public confidence in the electoral process.

"The injury to citizens is extremely large as bribery, undue influence, personation, duplicate voting and ghost voting still affects the purity and integrity of the electoral process," the petition said.

According to the petitioner, adoption of biometric verification at polling booths would ensure that only genuine and duly-registered electors are permitted to cast their votes and would strengthen the principle of "one citizen, one vote".

The plea claimed that the ECI can exercise its plenary powers under Article 324 of the Constitution to introduce such biometric authentication measures for ensuring free and fair elections.

Upadhyay said he had submitted a representation to the Chief Election Commissioner and Election Commissioners on March 28 seeking implementation of fingerprint and iris biometric identification at polling booths, but no action was taken, necessitating the filing of the PIL.

- IANS

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Reader Comments

P
Priya S
While the intent is good, I'm concerned about implementation. We have long queues already. Adding fingerprint/iris scans could slow down voting further, especially for senior citizens. The EC must ensure it doesn't become a hurdle for genuine voters.
R
Rohit P
Finally! This can be a game-changer to stop duplicate voting and booth capturing. If Aadhaar can be linked securely without privacy issues, it will bring more trust in the system. Jai Hind!
S
Sarah B
The Supreme Court is right to examine this carefully. The financial and logistical challenge is massive for a country of our size. We need a pilot project first in a few constituencies before a nationwide rollout.
V
Vikram M
What about remote areas with poor connectivity? How will the machines work? Technology is good but we must have a backup plan. Also, bribery happens *before* voting, at the booth. This only solves one part of the problem.
K
Karthik V
As an IT professional, I appreciate the move towards tech-based solutions. However, data security is paramount. We cannot have another data leak scandal. The ECI must partner with top cybersecurity firms for this.

We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.

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