Aadhaar Rules for 2018–19: From Bank Account, Mobile Number to PAN; Know What Needs to Be Linked and What Not

New Delhi, December 28: After the Supreme Court’s ruling in September this year, the 12-digit unique ID-Aadhaar is not mandatory for opening bank accounts or getting SIM cards. Following the ruling, banks and mobile operators are facing a tough time looking for alternative means to carry out the verification process of their customers. Apart from bank accounts and SIMs, the 12-digit unique identity (Aadhaar) is no longer mandatory for admission in schools. On 26^th September 2018, the top Court upheld the constitutional validity of Aadhaar but struck down several provisions including its linking with bank accounts, mobile phones among others. Aadhaar Not Mandatory for School and College Admissions, Boards Like CBSE and Competitive Exams Like NEET.

The top Court announced a list of services for which biometric ID Aadhaar needs to be mandatorily linked, and the ones for which it is not required. Aadhaar Not Mandatory to Avail Ayushman Bharat Health Insurance Scheme, Clarifies Government.

The services for which Aadhaar linking is mandatory include the following:

1. The linking of the 12-digit unique biometric identity is mandatory to link PAN with Aadhaar.
2. Aadhaar is compulsory for filing Income Tax returns.
3. Aadhaar is mandatory for availing facilities of welfare schemes and government subsidies.

The services for which Aadhaar is not mandatory are:

1. Bank account holders need not worry if they have not linked their account with Aadhaar. After the SC ruling, it is not mandatory to link a bank account with Aadhaar.
2. Telecom service providers or mobile operators cannot ask for linking mobile number with Aadhaar.
3. The Central Board of Secondary Examination (CBSE), National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET), UGC cannot make Aadhaar mandatory.
4. Aadhaar not compulsory for school admissions. No child can be denied benefits of any schemes on not being able to bring Aadhaar.

In September this year, the SC ruled that there was nothing in the Aadhaar Act that violates the right to privacy of an individual. A five-judge constitution bench headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra in a 4:1 verdict also cleared the use of Aadhaar for welfare schemes after a long-drawn legal battle against the government's ambitious project--the world's largest biometric ID database. The SC also ruled that Aadhaar authentication data cannot be stored for more than six months, the court also directed the government not to give Aadhaar to illegal immigrants.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Dec 28, 2018 05:12 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).