What does today’s order mean?

Over the last two weeks, mobile phone cellular service providers and banks resumed messaging its clients to link one’s Aadhaar to their account or mobile phone by March 31. The order makes it clear that one does not have to link it until the Supreme Court passes its verdict in the case. So, for now, you can ignore those messages if you haven’t yet linked.

The order, however, states that Aadhaar will be required for social schemes like MGNREGA and midday meals among others.

March 31 was the previous deadline for Aadhaar linkage to avail various services and welfare schemes run by the government.

No Need to Link Aadhaar With Mobile Phone, Bank Account Till SC Delivers Verdict on Validity
Image for representation.
New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Tuesday extended the deadline for mandatory linking of Aadhaar to avail various services and welfare schemes run by the government till a Constitution Bench rules on a batch of petitions challenging the validity of the Aadhaar Act.

March 31 was the previous deadline for Aadhaar linkage, but the Centre had recently hinted that it may be extended.

A five-judge Constitution bench comprising Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justices A K Sikri, A M Khanwilkar, D Y Chandrachud and Ashok Bhushan is hearing a clutch of pleas seeking a stay on government’s decision of mandatory linking of Aadhaar with welfare schemes, as well as essential services like banking and phone.

The Centre was also planning to make it mandatory to link Aadhaar card with driving licence and voter ID cards, among other things.

The government says it has insisted on quoting Aadhaar for bank deposits, obtaining mobile phone and several other utilities to weed out benami deals and black money. The depositor was required to submit Aadhaar number at the time of opening of account/purchasing certificates, it said.

Further, that every depositor who had not given his Aadhaar number at the time of application for such deposit was to submit his Aadhaar number on or before March 31, 2017.

In October, the government made 12-digit Aadhaar mandatory for all small savings schemes like post office deposits, PPF, the National Savings Certificate scheme and Kisan Vikas Patra.