IndiaPosted at: Nov 5 2026 3:18PM


Jairam Ramesh questions Modi govt’s plan to replace Aadhaar with Voter ID for welfare benefits

New Delhi, Nov 5 (UNI) Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh on Wednesday questioned whether the Narendra Modi government had formally decided to replace Aadhaar with Voter ID for identifying beneficiaries of social welfare schemes, warning that the move could trigger large-scale exclusion of people from their legitimate entitlements.
Reacting to repeated statements by union Panchayati Raj Minister Rajiv Ranjan Singh, popularly known as Lalan Singh, Ramesh sought clarity on whether the proposed change reflected an officially approved government policy.
“Over the past few days the union Minister of Panchayati Raj has said not once but twice that Voter ID will replace Aadhaar for identifying beneficiaries for social welfare programmes. Is this now official Modi Govt policy?” Ramesh asked in a post on social media platform X.
The Congress leader argued that replacing Aadhaar with Voter ID would mark a significant departure from the original purpose of the Aadhaar system. He also questioned the implications of making electoral roll inclusion a criterion for accessing government welfare, particularly when the Election Commission is conducting the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls across several states and union Territories.
Warning that the proposed arrangement could deepen the exclusion of vulnerable sections, Ramesh said that Aadhaar-based identification had itself raised concerns over the denial of welfare benefits to lakhs of people.
“There have been legitimate concerns that the way Aadhaar has been used, lakhs have been denied access to social welfare and security schemes. Making SIR the basis will end up excluding even more people on a massive scale,” he said.
The controversy follows remarks by Lalan Singh, who said Aadhaar would no longer be the primary basis for identifying beneficiaries and processing welfare payments. He proposed using biometric authentication alongside the Electors' Photo Identity Card (EPIC) number instead. The minister first made the suggestion at a national workshop on the People's Plan Campaign 2026-27 on October 30 and reiterated it during a visit to Gangtok on November 3.
However, the government has yet to spell out the precise scope of the proposed change. It remains unclear which welfare schemes would be covered, whether the arrangement would extend beyond programmes administered by the ministries concerned and when it would be implemented. As of November 5, no formal government order announcing a comprehensive replacement of Aadhaar with Voter ID for welfare benefits had been issued.
The issue assumes added significance given that Aadhaar was introduced under the Aadhaar (Targeted Delivery of Financial and Other Subsidies, Benefits and Services) Act, 2016, which provides the legal framework for using the identity system to facilitate the targeted delivery of government subsidies, benefits and services.
Ramesh sought to connect the proposed change with the Congress's broader criticism of the SIR exercise, arguing that its consequences could go beyond the right to vote and potentially affect access to essential welfare and social security programmes.
Sharpening his attack on the government, he said: “Vote Chori is just the trailer. The full picture is hak-hukook Chori.”
The Congress leader's intervention has brought into focus a larger question: whether access to welfare entitlements should be linked to inclusion in electoral rolls, particularly when the ongoing SIR exercise itself has triggered political controversy over the verification and deletion of voters' names. The party has warned that using electoral identity as a gateway to welfare benefits could leave people who are excluded from, or unable to establish their inclusion in, electoral rolls at risk of losing access to government assistance. UNI SKA AAB
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