The Supreme Court on Wednesday, in a mammoth verdict, upheld the constitutional validity of the Aadhaar Act, while striking down key provisions that could have led to potential misuse of the 12-digit biometric numbers. With the apex court's verdict, Aadhaar cannot be mandated for anything other than availing welfare benefits from the government and filing of tax returns.
Here are the major takeaways from the Aadhaar verdict.
Aadhaar cannot be mandated for the following:
1. Bank accounts: It will not be mandatory to link Aadhaar to bank accounts. "The assumption that every individual who opens a bank account is a potential terrorist or a launderer was 'draconian'," the Supreme Court held in its verdict.
2. Private companies: Telecom service providers can no longer insist on linking of Aadhaar numbers for mobile connections.
3. Schools can't insist on Aadhaar numbers from students for admissions. Aadhaar can be accepted as identification only with parental consent.
4. Aadhaar cannot be made mandatory for examinations conducted by the CBSE, National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) and the University Grants Commission.
You will need Aadhaar for:
1. Filing income tax returns: The Supreme Court has upheld compulsory linking of PAN and Aadhaar number for filing of income tax returns.
2. Avail government subsidies: Aadhaar is mandatory to avail benefits through the government's welfare scheme.
Other important observations by the Supreme Court:
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1. Aadhaar authentication data cannot be stored for more than six months
2. The government cannot give Aadhaar IDs to illegal immigrants.
3. The court upheld the passage of the Aadhaar Bill as a Money Bill by the Lok Sabha.
4. Kids do not need Aadhaar. If they got Aadhaar cards before attaining the age of 18, they have the option of opting out. However, they would need it for filing taxes or getting subsidies.
