SC EXTENDS FINAL DATE FOR AADHAARLINKS TO ALL SERVICES

NEWDELHI: The Supreme Court, on Friday, extended the deadline for linking Aadhaar to all services and schemes, including mobile phones, to March 31 next year.

Choosing not to stay the government’s orders and notifications making the unique identification number mandatory for access to various services, a fivejudge bench led by Chief Justice Dipak Misra fixed January 17 to start the final hearing for a slew of petitions challenging the validity of the Aadhaar Act and its related notifications.

“Having due regard to the importance of the issues which have been raised in the case, which has led to the judgment of nine judges of this court on August 24 (privacy verdict), we are of the considered view that the resolution of the issues raised before the Court should proceed at the earliest, after the court reassembles in January 2018,” the bench said.

The court order will also be applicable to all state governments, besides the Central government and its departments.

In cases of bank accounts,the linking date has been pushed to March 31 however, the account holder will have to furnish details of the application filed for Aadhaar to the bank. This means for opening new bank accounts, Aadhaar will be a pre-requisite.

The court also took note of the attorney general’s submission that the government was willing to extend the date for verification of mobile phones through Aadhaar.

“We extend the date for the completion of the e-kyc process in respect of mobile phone subscribers until March 31, 2018,” the court said.

It was clarified that Friday’s order will have no bearing of an earlier SC verdict that upheld the amendment to the Income Tax Act, which makes Aadhaar necessary for PAN.

The top court’s order came on applications for stay on various notifications issued by the government making Aadhaar-linking mandatory with 139 various services and schemes.