The Supreme Court has ruled that Aadhar cannot be made mandatory. It is a blow to the UPA’s biometric-based ID plan. It will not be compulsory for public benefits or schemes. The Aadhar card can now be issued only to Indian citizens. The decision arises under the appellate jurisdiction of the apex court. Allegations were made that Aadhar invaded privacy and potentially gave the state too much power. Furthermore, the line between Indian citizens and illegal immigrants got blurred. It also duplicates other identification methods. The UIAAI bill has been put on hold by the standing committee on finance led by Yashwant Sinha. Aadhar enrollment is technically optional but it should be considered the enabling machinery for the UPA’s welfare programmes and crucial for cash transfers. Its benefits are clear. State agencies had started linking up Aadhar with LPG entitlements and other payments. True, it may have caused unnecessary hassles for many consumers. On the other hand, it was meant to make government spending more accurate and honest.
The Supreme Court has overstated the citizenship aspect. The birth certificate to be produced for Aadhar should largely serve the purpose. Aadhar is meant to make it easier to access subsidies and benefits by removing hurdles created by lack of ID. The poor people are hard put to prove their identity by clearing a whole host of documentary requirements. Aadhar is to be used for school enrollments, for rural banking for MGNREGA payments and so on. It should cut down leakage and corruption and allow direct transfers in place of indirect benefits. One hopes that the Supreme Court has not marginalized its importance. Its validity for identification should remain unquestioned. A large number of people have already gone through the long process of obtaining Aadhar cards. That should be in vain.