News Roll
No New Aadhaar Linking Deadline Yet , But Service Providers Remain Adamant
Supreme Court Bench has issued an interim order for extending Aadhaar linkage , but telcos and banks continue to ask for it without stating a deadline
The Supreme Court has issued an interim order indefinitely extending the deadline for linking Aadhaar to bank accounts , mobile phones and other services but banks and telecom operators are still insisting on an Aadhaar-based KYC process for customers who wish to open new accounts or get new SIM cards . “ We will now send messages asking customers to link their Aadhaar to their SIMs without mentioning a deadline . We will not make an intensive effort now . But KYC through e-Aadhaar is a necessity for obtaining a new SIM card ,” said a telecom major ’ s official on the condition of anonymity . A banker who didn ’ t wish to be named said : “ We abide by the Supreme Court norms and will wait till the Court ’ s final verdict . Our communication to customers will continue but it will be without a deadline for Aadhaar linkage . A new bank account cannot be opened without Aadhaar , but existing customers cannot be forced to link – it is their choice .” The SC Bench had ruled that there was no need to link Aadhaar to these services till a judgment was pronounced on the constitutionality of the programme . Documents like PAN , insurance certificates , mutual funds , bank accounts and mobile numbers were to be linked with Aadhaar by March 31 . The initial deadline for the purpose was December 31 , 2017 . “ As per the Supreme Court ’ s order dated 13 March 2018 , the requirement of Aadhaar for opening new bank accounts and applying for Tatkal passports under the relevant laws continues ,” tweeted UIDAI through its verified account after the passing of the interim order by the Supreme Court . “ Those who do not have Aadhaar are required to apply for Aadhaar and provide the Aadhaar application number while applying for availing of the aforesaid services ,” it said in another tweet . As noted by the Supreme Court , Aadhaar would still be needed for accessing essential services including subsidy and benefits ( Section 7 of Aadhaar Act – Targeted Delivery of Financial and other Subsidies , Benefits and Services ), it said . The government has , in the past , claimed that Aadhaar was used in attaining efficiency while providing services and subsidies . Petitioners , however , have challenged the use of biometrics for authentication and have raised concerns over the issue of privacy .
Suyash Desai
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Outlook Money April 2018 www . outlookmoney . com