Fri. Mar 29th, 2024
Aadhaar mandatory for PAN card

The citizens may soon get an option to withdraw their Aadhaar number, including biometrics and the data from the servers of Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI). This move could turn out to be a milestone.

According to a senior government official, a draft Cabinet note has been prepared by the nodal body for Aadhaar, UIDAI to include this amendment. Once implemented, the “opt-out” provision can be availed by all and their Aadhaar number and details including demographic and biometrics will be deleted from the servers of the UIDAI.

However, the proposal comes with a downside. If a person opts out of the Aadhaar scheme, he/she won’t be able to avail many government schemes and subsidies where Aadhaar linkage is still mandatory.

This move is likely to be in the wake of the Supreme Court’s September verdict that said “While Aadhaar is constitutionally valid, it is not mandatory for all services.”

The proposal initially suggested that once a child turns 18, he/she be given six months to decide if he/she wants to withdraw from Aadhaar. But the Law Ministry further recommended that the option to “opt-out” should be made available to all citizens, and not be limited to a particular group.

This significant move is likely to benefit only those who do not have a PAN card or do not require one, as the court had upheld the linkage of PAN with Aadhaar.

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