IndiaPosted at: Nov 4 2026 3:47PM


CPI(M) slams mandatory biometric, voter ID checks for welfare, warns of mass exclusion of poor

New Delhi, Nov 4 (UNI) The Communist Party of India (Marxist) on Wednesday launched a strong attack on the union government’s reported decision to make biometric authentication and Electors Photo Identity Card (EPIC) mandatory for welfare payments, warning that the move would create fresh barriers for millions of poor and vulnerable people seeking access to their legitimate entitlements.
In a statement issued by its Polit Bureau on November 4, the CPI(M) termed the announcement by union Minister for Panchayati Raj Rajiv Ranjan Singh “a further assault on the rural poor” and demanded its immediate withdrawal.
The party cautioned that making biometric authentication and voter identity cards compulsory for accessing welfare schemes would disproportionately affect agricultural workers, elderly women and economically disadvantaged households.
Highlighting the shortcomings of biometric verification, the CPI(M) said repeated authentication failures had resulted in genuine beneficiaries being denied their dues, particularly under rural employment programmes. It cited cases of elderly women being unable to receive payments because machines failed to capture their iris scans and manual labourers being excluded after biometric devices failed to recognise their worn-out fingerprints.
The party also questioned the practicality of electronic know-your-customer (e-KYC) requirements, pointing out that a large number of rural households did not possess smartphones to complete the mandatory digital procedures.
Questioning the Centre’s changing position on Aadhaar, the CPI(M) recalled that the government had earlier assured the Supreme Court that Aadhaar would not be compulsory but subsequently extended its use across welfare schemes.
“Having touted Aadhaar as foolproof, the government itself is now discarding it,” the party remarked, questioning why another layer of technological and documentary requirements was being introduced for accessing essential benefits.
The Polit Bureau also linked the latest move to the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, alleging that the exercise was being used as an instrument of mass disenfranchisement. Describing the SIR as a “surgical strike” on voting rights, the party claimed that more than 13.4 crore voters had been excluded and that marginalised communities, Muslims, women and economically vulnerable sections were bearing a disproportionate burden.
The CPI(M) warned that linking welfare payments to voter identity cards could further compound the exclusion arising from deletions in electoral rolls. It alleged that some state governments had already started denying ration and other welfare benefits to people whose names had been removed during the SIR exercise.
Such denial of benefits, the party argued, amounted to a violation of the Supreme Court’s ruling that exclusion from electoral rolls cannot be made a ground for denying social welfare entitlements.
The controversy has revived concerns over the growing reliance on Aadhaar, biometric authentication and electoral identity documents in the delivery of government assistance, particularly in rural areas where digital infrastructure, access to smartphones and authentication facilities remain uneven. Critics have repeatedly warned that technological failures and documentation deficiencies can prevent otherwise eligible beneficiaries from accessing food security, employment payments and other essential support.
Maintaining that welfare entitlements cannot be conditional upon possession of particular identity documents or access to technology, the CPI(M) alleged that the latest requirements reflected “a concerted effort to deny benefits to a vast majority of the people”.
The party insisted that social security schemes must remain accessible to every eligible beneficiary and that technical failures, inability to complete biometric authentication or lack of a particular identity document must never become grounds for withholding legally guaranteed benefits.
It reiterated its demand for immediate withdrawal of the government’s decision and called for universal delivery of welfare entitlements without exclusionary technological or documentary conditions.
UNI SKA ATP AAB
Tags: #CPI(M) slams mandatory biometric# voter ID checks for welfare# warns of mass exclusion of poor
More News

Heat reshaping India’s food economy as El Niño strengthens; drought in six states stresses farm outlook

04 Nov 2026 | 6:07 PM

Vibha Sharma
New Delhi, Nov 4 (UNI) Climate change is already cutting into India’s food supply, disrupting farm-to-market systems and driving up food prices, with annual losses running into billions of dollars, according to a new white paper by Climate Trends released on Wednesday.

see more..

‘Kahin nahi jayenge Modi’: union minister Arjun Meghwal sings on harmonium; joins BJP chorus

04 Nov 2026 | 5:05 PM

Vibha Sharma
New Delhi, Nov 4 (UNI) It is now union Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal who has joined the BJP’s growing “Modi kahin nahi jaayenge” chorus. In a video that he himself posted on X, Meghwal can be seen playing the harmonium while singing, “Kahin nahi jaayenge Modi, kahin nahi jaayenge Modi” (Modi will not go anywhere, Modi will not go anywhere) almost in a devotional style.

see more..

Cabinet extends fast track courts for rape, child sexual abuse trials till 2031; target raised to 850

04 Nov 2026 | 5:00 PM

New Delhi, Nov 4 (UNI) The union Cabinet on Wednesday approved a five-year extension of the Centrally Sponsored Scheme for Fast Track Special Courts (FTSCs), dedicated to the speedy trial of rape cases and sexual offences against children, including those registered under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2012. The scheme, involving a total financial outlay of Rs 3,788.04 crore, will continue until March 31, 2031, with the government planning to increase the number of operational courts from 779 to 850.

see more..

Cabinet clears Rs 4,371-Crore VISTAR scheme to overhaul India’s statistical system

04 Nov 2026 | 4:40 PM

New Delhi, Nov 4 (UNI) The union Cabinet on Wednesday approved a Rs 4,371.10-crore central sector scheme to overhaul and modernise India’s official statistical system, with a focus on expanding data collection, accelerating digital transformation, integrating artificial intelligence and strengthening research capabilities over the next five years.

see more..

India becomes important force in renewable energy; capacity surpasses 300 GW in 2026

04 Nov 2026 | 4:26 PM

New Delhi, Nov 4 (UNI) India’s renewable power capacity almost quadrupled over the past decade, surpassing 300 gigawatts (GW) in 2026, according to the India Renewable Energy Market Report 2026.

see more..