Summary Case:   Laxman Siddappa Naik v. Kattimani Chaniappa Jamappanna & Ors. Citation:  1968 AIR 929; 1968 SCR (2) 805 Date of Judgment:  19 January 1968 Bench:  Hon'ble Justice M. Hidayatullah; Hon'ble Justice S.M. Sikri; Hon'ble Justice K.S. Hegde Advocates:  S. S. Javali and M. Veerappa for the appellant; R. Gopalakrishnan for respondent no.1 Statutory Provisions / Instruments:  Representation of the People Act, 1951 (s.116-A); Constitution (Scheduled Tribes) Order, 1950

The Supreme Court has firmly ruled that Aadhaar is an identity document, not proof of Indian citizenship. Delivered on September 1, 2025, this decision arose during Bihar’s voter roll revisions, where political parties had pressed for Aadhaar’s use to curb exclusion. By citing the Aadhaar Act and Puttaswamy judgment, the Court clarified that democracy rests on citizenship, not biometric identity, reshaping debates on electoral inclusion.