New Delhi, July 6, 2025 — Every few years, India rediscovers its oldest administrative riddle identity. And this time, the debate has reignited in Bihar. On June 24, the Election Commission of India (ECI) launched a special intensive revision of the electoral rolls in the state, with the intent to weed out ineligible voters and ensure all eligible citizens are counted. But what started as a procedural exercise has turned into a political flashpoint — and a mirror reflecting deeper cracks in India’s system of identity, governance, and trust.
This is the first such revision since 2003 and comes at a time when India’s digital infrastructure is hailed globally, particularly the Aadhaar system — a biometric-based identity that has become central to welfare delivery, banking, and even mobile phone usage. Ironically, Aadhaar now stands disqualified in this new citizenship verification process.
The Burden of Proof: Who is a Voter?
In Bihar, a state with 7.9 crore registered voters, the ECI has demanded proof of birth and citizenship from those not listed in the 2003 electoral rolls. This includes three layers of verification, depending on birth year:
- Before July 1, 1987: Only personal documents.
- Between 1987 and 2004: Self and one parent’s documents.
- After December 2004: Documents for self and both parents.
Permitted documents include certificates issued by various government bodies — such as educational records, land allotments, caste certificates, and family registers. However, Aadhaar, driving licenses, PAN cards, ration cards, MGNREGS cards, and even the Election Commission’s own photo ID have been excluded.
For millions in Bihar, where only 6% are graduates and where just 6.7% of workers are employed in the formal government or PSU sector, this list of exclusions is not just puzzling — it’s punishing.
Reality vs. Requirements
At the heart of this chaos lies an undeniable reality: India’s birth registration system is broken. According to the Ministry of Home Affairs, just 15 states register more than 90% of births. Seven states register less than 50%. Bihar, as per NFHS-5, has 25% of births unregistered even today.
Now imagine trying to produce birth documents for individuals born in the 1980s or early 2000s — or worse, producing documentation for your parents in a state that had less than 40% registration rate in 2005.
This exercise, noble in its intention, is nearly impossible in execution — and risks excluding large swathes of voters simply because the state never recorded their existence properly.
When Identity Isn’t Enough
What’s perhaps most unsettling is the mistrust of existing government IDs. Aadhaar, though central to India’s digital leap and used for Rs 44 lakh crore worth of direct benefit transfers, is now deemed insufficient to prove citizenship. Ration cards and job cards — used to access vital food and employment guarantees — are also ruled out.
So, the government trusts Aadhaar to transfer billions, but not to confirm that a citizen exists.
This has sparked intense backlash from opposition parties, who call the move a “systematic disenfranchisement effort,” and confusion among ordinary citizens, unsure of what documents will be accepted or how to obtain them.
Governance by Documentation
But the crisis isn’t limited to voting rights. India’s entrepreneurs and startups also face a labyrinth of identity and verification hurdles.
To start a business, one must collect:
- Aadhaar, PAN, additional ID
- CIN, DIN, LLPIN, FLLPIN for registration (MCA)
- GSTN, TAN (Finance Ministry)
- EPFO, ESIC (Labour Ministry)
- Udyam Number (MSME Ministry)
- Local trade licenses, shop establishment certificates, tax registrations
Despite this jungle of paperwork, no universal identity exists that links these departments. The result? Redundant compliances, repeated submissions, and systemic inefficiency.
Why not unify them all under one interoperable identity — a Bharat Investor Number (BIN)? This single ID could ease regulatory burdens and streamline governance. Think of it as an Aadhaar for businesses, but with accountability and real-time compliance visibility.
At the Crossroads of Trust and Reform
India stands at a paradox. We have digital tools that can power elections, deliver subsidies, launch satellites — yet we still cannot reliably verify a citizen’s birth or make government IDs interoperable.
This isn’t just an issue of documentation. It’s a question of trust — between the state and its citizens, and across government departments themselves.
The trio of ease of living, ease of governance, and ease of doing business hinges on how well we address identity. Until we close the gap between intent and infrastructure, initiatives like voter roll revisions or startup registrations will remain mired in confusion and controversy.
Revisiting the question of “Who is a citizen?” in a country as complex as India is not wrong. But when proof of existence becomes a bureaucratic obstacle course, the very fabric of democracy and enterprise risks unraveling.
As Bihar’s electoral revision unfolds, it sends a clear message to the rest of India: the first mile of governance — identity — is where reform must begin.
