SC seeks govt’s response on use of Aadhaar as ID

The Supreme Court on Friday sought response from the Centre and the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) on a PIL challenging the Aadhaar and Other Laws (Amendment) Act, 2019, that provides for voluntary use of Aadhaar as an identification document for opening of the bank accounts and for getting mobile connections.

Besides challenge to the Aadhaar and Other Laws (Amendment) Act, 2019, the PIL petitioners have also challenged the Aadhaar (Pricing of Aadhaar Authentication Services) Regulations, 2019.

Issuing notice on a PIL challenging the law passed in the Monsoons Session of Parliament, a bench of Chief Justice S.A. Bobde and Justice B.R. Gavai tagged it with a earlier pending matter.

The PIL has been jointly moved by retired Indian Army officer S.G. Vombatkare

and human rights activist Bezwada Wilson.

Earlier on July 5, the top court had issued notice to the Centre and UIDAI on a PIL by Mr Vombatkare and Mr Wilson challenging two ordinances — Aadhaar and Other Laws (Amendment) Ordnance, 2019 and the Aadhaar (Pricing of Aadhaar Authentication Services) Regulations, 20J9.

It has been contended by the PIL petitioners that the law and the regulations under challenge are “manifestly unconstitutional” as they seek to “re-legislate” the provisions of the Aadhaar Act, 2016 which enabled the commercial exploitation of personal information collected for the purposes of the State alone.

The SC by its September 26, 2018, judgment had struck down Section 57 of the Aadhaar (Targeted Delivery of Financial and Other Subsidies, Benefits and Services) Act, 2016, which permitted the use of Aadhaar for other purposes under the law.