The government cannot make Aadhaar mandatory to access benefits and welfare schemes, the Supreme Court observed amid mounting criticism over expanding use of the controversial 12-digit unique identity number. Actually Aadhar was started under the UPA Government under Nandan Nilakeni who later contested on Congress ticket and lost the election. He was with Infosys and later joined the Government by resigning to make Aadhar card business.
This card making runs into hundreds of crores of rupees and the Government will have to pay for the Private company. Not much of a Technology is involved and the company make money by giving a unique number. It is as simple as that. But the brokers made lot of money with this. Nilakeni is influencing the present BJP Government to include Aadhar card for this and that.
The top court also said the government could use the biometric ID for non-benefit schemes and processes such as the opening of bank accounts.
The observations come amid a storm over the government’s decision last week to make the biometric ID mandatory for PAN cards and filing IT returns. The Centre has indicated that PAN cards could be invalidated by year-end if not linked with Aadhaar.
The government has also linked Aadhaar to schemes such as the mid-day meal and payments under the national rural jobs scheme, sparking fear that many could be denied their entitlements because of a lack of the ID.
A clutch of petitions challenging the orders, and Aadhaar, are pending in the SC. The top court said on Monday it would set up a seven-judge bench to hear the pleas but didn’t indicate a timeframe.
“A seven-judge bench has to be set up to hear the pleas challenging Aadhaar but right now it is not possible,” media quoted the SC as saying.
