SC rules Aadhaar card not mandatory, says government cannot share any personal information

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posted on 9 years ago — updated on 1 second ago

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The Centre has so far maintained that there is no maintainability to the plea that demands the scrapping of the Aadhaar scheme on the ground there is violation of the right to privacy.

New Delhi: Ruling that Aadhaar card is not mandatory, the Supreme Court on Tuesday gave a verdict that it should be used only to disburse LPG, food grains and other subsidies. The apex court directed the concerned government authorities that no personal information of Aadhaar card holders shall be shared by them.

The apex court, which had earlier referred the matter to a bench of 5 judges after the government said that Right to Privacy is not a fundamental right under the Constitution, also gave 4 directions to the government regarding the same. The Centre has so far maintained that there is no maintainability to the plea that demands the scrapping of the Aadhaar scheme on the ground there is violation of the right to privacy.

The apex court had earlier reserved its verdict on Centre's plea that petitions challenging government's ambitious project to grant Aadhaar cards to all citizens be referred to a Constitutional bench.

A three-judge bench, which in the forenoon referred to a larger Constitution Bench a batch of petitions challenging the Aadhaar scheme and the issue whether right to privacy is a fundamental right, recorded the statement of Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi that "no personal information of Aadhaar card shall be shared by any authority".

The bench, headed by Justice J Chelameswar, which issued a slew of directions, said the Centre shall give wide publicity through electronic and print media that the card is not mandatory to avail the government schemes.

The bench, also comprising Justices SA Bobde and C Nagappan, said, "UIDAI/Aadhaar will not be used for any other purposes except PDS, kerosene and LPG distribution system." However, the court made it clear that even for PDS, kerosene and LPG distribution system, the card will not be mandatory.

It directed that the information received by UIDAI shall not be used for any other purposes, except in criminal investigation with the permission of the court. The court did not allow the interim plea of petitioners, challenging Aadhar scheme, that the ongoing enrolment process for the Aadhar card be stayed.