Why in News?
Assam will stop issuing first-time Aadhaar cards to adults from October 2025 to curb illegal immigrants, especially from Bangladesh, from obtaining Indian citizenship. Exceptions will apply for SCs, STs, and tea garden workers for one year.
Description:
- 12-digit unique identification number issued by UIDAI (Unique Identification Authority of India).
- Launched in 2009, became statutory under Aadhaar (Targeted Delivery of Financial and Other Subsidies, Benefits and Services) Act, 2016.
- Coverage: As of April 2022, >133 crore Aadhaar issued (99.9% adults).
Key Provisions of Aadhaar Act, 2016:
- Eligibility: Every resident of India can obtain Aadhaar after giving demographic + biometric data.
- UIDAI: Established as a statutory authority under MeitY.
- Uniqueness: Random number, not linked to caste, religion, income, etc.
- Privacy & Security: UIDAI ensures protection of data.
- Restricted Sharing: Aadhaar number/info cannot be made public except as per law.
- Penalties: Unauthorized access/data breach → up to 3 years imprisonment + ₹10 lakh fine.
- Cognizance by Courts: Only upon complaint filed by UIDAI.
Safety & Security Features:
- Virtual ID (VID): Temporary, revocable 16-digit number linked to Aadhaar.
- Masked Aadhaar: Only last 4 digits visible.
- OTP-based Authentication: For e-KYC and verification.
- Tokenization: Aadhaar replaced with UID Token (unique for each agency).
Significance of Aadhaar:
- Proof of identity & address.
- Used in DBT schemes (LPG subsidy, MGNREGA, pensions).
- Reduces fraud & leakage in welfare schemes.
- Facilitates financial inclusion (bank a/cs, SIM cards, KYC).
- Key pillar of JAM Trinity (Jan Dhan–Aadhaar–Mobile).
Limitations & Concerns:
- Biometric failures (elderly, manual labourers).
- Unverified demographic data (age/DOB errors).
- Security risks → cases of data breaches.
- Exclusion from welfare schemes if Aadhaar-linkage is not updated.
- Privacy issues → sensitive info exposed in the past.
- No exit option from UIDAI database.
- Dependence on private players without clear data safeguards.
Applications of Aadhaar:
- PDS → authenticate ration beneficiaries.
- AEPS (Aadhaar Enabled Payment System) → biometric-based banking.
- DBT → LPG, pensions, scholarships.
- Jan Dhan Yojana → account opening.
- Pension & Passport authentication.
- Linkage with Voter ID → under Election Laws (Amendment) Act, 2021.
Supreme Court on Aadhaar (2018 Judgment):
- Upheld Aadhaar Act, 2016 (valid as Money Bill).
- Aadhaar does not create a surveillance state.
- Aadhaar is a proportionate & reasonable restriction on privacy.
- Mandatory linkage upheld: Aadhaar–PAN, ITR filing.
- Struck down: Compulsory linkage with private services (e.g., telecom, banking).
- Metadata can be stored only for 6 months (not 5 years).
- Children’s Aadhaar: Needs parental consent.
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