Aadhaar constitutionally valid: Supreme Court

Guwahati (Assam), September 26, 2018:

The Supreme Court on Wednesday ruled that Aadhaar is Constitutionally-valid.

Hearing 31 petitions that challenged Aadhaar citing violations of the right to privacy, a five-judge Constitution bench, headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra, ruled that Aadhaar is mandatory for UGC, NEET and CBSE examinations. The court ruled that biometric data would not be shared with any agency without its permission.

The SC, however, said Aadhaar linking was not mandatory for mobile connections. Linking of Aadhaar to mobile phones will not be constitutional, the court said. It said no mobile company could demand Aadhaar card. Similarly, Aadhaar will not be needed for banking but it will be a must for PAN.

Citing right to education, the SC said schools could not make Aadhaar compulsory. “Schools cannot make Aadhaar compulsory.  Every child has the right to education,” it said.