03/25/2014 | 02:13am US/Eastern
New Delhi: In February 2009, India embarked on a mega project, called Aadhaar, to issue a 12-digit unique identification number to all its citizens.
More than five years on, the country's Supreme Court has ruled that the Aadhaar card cannot be treated as mandatory for availing any public service, a reiteration of an interim order issued in September last year.
Till January 31, a total of 576.16 million Aadhaar cards had been issued, according to Indian government figures.
Withdraw all orders
But, the apex court yesterday directed the Indian government to withdraw all orders which make the Aadhaar card mandatory for availing any service like registration of marriages or property, getting a gas connection etc. It also asked the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI), which issues the Aadhaar card, not to share any information pertaining to a card holder with any government agency without their prior permission.
A three-judge bench, headed by Justice B.S. Chauhan, gave its order in the wake of petitions challenging the constitutional validity of the Aadhaar card.
The pleas against the scheme claim that it not only violates the right to privacy as the data could be misused, but the "biometrics", which is the foundation of the project, is an unreliable and untested technology and public funds are being wasted by being channelled to private companies.
Largest of its kind
In September 2013, the Supreme Court had also issued an interim order, saying Aadhaar card can't be made mandatory for people for availing any government services and nobody should be deprived of any such facilities for want of the identity card.
The Aadhaar scheme, launched in 2009, has been designed as a radical overhaul of India's$61 billion welfare system. It allows the Indian government to make cash payments directly to the needy. Once every citizen has been enrolled, only those with a unique identity number and a bank account will be able to receive direct cash transfers from the government for their entitlements.
The scheme's database of biometrics which includes scanned irises and fingerprints will, when complete, be the largest of its kind in the world.
More than five years on, the country's Supreme Court has ruled that the Aadhaar card cannot be treated as mandatory for availing any public service, a reiteration of an interim order issued in September last year.
Till January 31, a total of 576.16 million Aadhaar cards had been issued, according to Indian government figures.
Withdraw all orders
But, the apex court yesterday directed the Indian government to withdraw all orders which make the Aadhaar card mandatory for availing any service like registration of marriages or property, getting a gas connection etc. It also asked the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI), which issues the Aadhaar card, not to share any information pertaining to a card holder with any government agency without their prior permission.
A three-judge bench, headed by Justice B.S. Chauhan, gave its order in the wake of petitions challenging the constitutional validity of the Aadhaar card.
The pleas against the scheme claim that it not only violates the right to privacy as the data could be misused, but the "biometrics", which is the foundation of the project, is an unreliable and untested technology and public funds are being wasted by being channelled to private companies.
Largest of its kind
In September 2013, the Supreme Court had also issued an interim order, saying Aadhaar card can't be made mandatory for people for availing any government services and nobody should be deprived of any such facilities for want of the identity card.
The Aadhaar scheme, launched in 2009, has been designed as a radical overhaul of India's$61 billion welfare system. It allows the Indian government to make cash payments directly to the needy. Once every citizen has been enrolled, only those with a unique identity number and a bank account will be able to receive direct cash transfers from the government for their entitlements.
The scheme's database of biometrics which includes scanned irises and fingerprints will, when complete, be the largest of its kind in the world.
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