AADHAR IS VOLUNTARY - MILLIONS OF INDIANS ARE ALREADY TRAPPED

India's Supreme Court has come down heavily on the mandatory linking of Aadhar for almost every thing. In a much anticipated ruling today, a five judge bench struck down section 57 of the Aadhar act, which allowed corporate entities or even individuals to demand an Aadhar card in exchange for goods or services. As a result, now no school, office or company can force anyone to revel the unique 12 digit number. Neither is it mandatory for opening bank account or for mobile connections.

However, the Aadhar number must still be quoted to file income tax returns and apply for a Personal Account Number. Introduced in 2009 by the Manmohan Singh led United Progressive Alliance Government the scheme has grown the scheme has grown to become the world's largest bio-metric ID program.

The initial mandate for the Unique Identification Authority of India, which administers the project, was to mitigate corrupt practices and bring transparency to system and processes, both in the public and bring transparency to systems and process, both in the public and privet sectors. For instance, the 12 digit unique identification number was touted as a remedy to India's leaky Public Distribution System, where rampant impersonation denied benefits to the genuinely needy.

However, the programme later expanded in scale and reach from the original directive and, in the process, ran into challenges and controversies. Under the Narendra Modi  led Government, which came to power in 2014, Asdhar has become a requirement for at least 22 welfare programmes. That's despite as August 2015 Supreme Court Order restraining the Government from expanding it beyond the distributing system for food gains and cooking fuel.

In fact in 2003 itself, the apex court said, 'No person should suffer for not getting an Aadhar Card'. A bench at the apex court had instructed that the state must refrain from making Aadhar mandatory for Gas Connections, Vehicle Registration, Scholarships, Marriage Registration, Salaries, Provident Funds etcs.

Court rulings have ensured that the programme, at least on paper is voluntary. That, however has not stopped it from becoming entrenched in daily life. From pension schemes to nutrition programmes for kid's and women's empowerment scholarships to insurance payouts, the Government and many business, including banks and cell phone operators have been pushing for it at times even arm-twisting citizens to sign up for an Aadhar Number.

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