NEW DELHI: The Centre’s plan to make Aadhaar a basic identity document got a shot in the arm when the Supreme Court on Monday said it would not be wrong on the part of the government to make the unique ID mandatory for opening bank accounts, getting mobile connections or passports.
The court clarified that its earlier interim order asking the government to make Aadhaar optional only related to obtaining benefits under social welfare schemes. Even among such schemes, the court had allowed the Centre to insist on Aadhaar for programmes such as MGNREGA, gas subsidies, PDS rations and Jan Dhan Yojna.
"Minus the benefits under social welfare schemes, we think the government can insist on Aadhaar as identification document. If someone wants to open a bank account or get a mobile phone connection, it can insist on Aadhaar as there is no welfare scheme benefit involved in it. Why cannot the government insist on Aadhaar for filing of income tax returns? For availing benefits under schemes, Aadhaar cannot be insisted, but for other purposes we think it can be," the court said.
The remark came from a bench of Chief Justice J S Khehar and Justices D Y Chandrachud and Sanjay K Kaul when senior advocate Shyam Divan, appearing for petitioners who have challenged Aadhaar as intrusion into citizens’ right to privacy, questioned the government’s decision to make it mandatory despite the SC’s interim order that UID should be voluntary.
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