Those who do not have Aadhaar cards can get it linked by March 31
People who do not have Aadhaar will get another three months to get it issued and link it to their bank accounts, SIM cards, PAN and government welfare programmes, the Centre told the Supreme Court today. However, the deadline for those who have the 12-digit biometric Unique Identification Number will remain the same, the Unique Identification Authority of India, or UIDAI, which issues Aadhaar, said today.
Here are 10 things to know about deadlines and Aadhaar linking with other services:
1. The deadline for verifying bank accounts and income tax Permanent Account Number (PAN) by providing Aadhaar is December 31, for SIM cards it is February 6.
2. Those who do not have Aadhaar cards get three more months and can link the Aadhaar with various services by March 31.
3. In a statement, the UIDAI stressed that the Supreme Court had not stayed government orders that require people to link their Aadhaar number. UIDAI said a video of a lady lawyer being circulated on WhatsApp, Twitter and social media that speaks of a court stay on Aadhaar linking refers to an order passed by the Supreme Court on August 11, 2015. This was before the Aadhaar law was enacted. "All notifications for requiring Aadhaar for various welfare programmes, verifying bank account, PAN card and SIM card with Aadhaar stand valid and lawful," the statement clarified.
4. The Centre has made it mandatory for all Indians to verify bank account, PAN, welfare schemes and SIM cards by Aadhaar linking. This would reduce possibility of fraud, corruption and track unaccounted wealth.
5. The Centre has already mandated that Aadhaar card will be required to open new bank accounts and for transactions above Rs 50,000. All existing account holders will also have to submit their Aadhaar details, failing which accounts will be deemed invalid.
6. Following this, a number of activists filed petitions, objecting to the government order to link Aadhaar with bank and investment accounts and cellphones, saying it is a breach of Right to Privacy, which has been accepted by the Supreme Court in an earlier order.
7. The activists have also challenged the validity and legal basis of Aadhaar, which collects and stores biometric data like finger prints and iris scans.
8. The Aadhaar Act was passed by the Parliament in 2016. Subsequently, notifications were issued making Aadhaar mandatory for availing various welfare benefits such as public distribution services (PDS), cooking gas LPG, MNREGS, scholarships and pensions.
9. On June 1, 2017, PML Rules (prevention of money laundering rules) were amended to make Aadhaar linking mandatory for all bank accounts, insurance, pension, mutual funds and DMAT accounts.
10. "People should verify their banks accounts, investment accounts, SIM cards, as per the current laws and deadlines as early as possible to avoid any inconvenience," UIDAI said in a statement.
(With Inputs From PTI)