Breaking Views: SC’s Aadhaar Verdict a Setback for the Centre

The Supreme Court upheld most of the provisions of Aadhaar Act by 4:1.

Video Editor: Mohd Irshad Alam
Cameraperson: Shiv Kumar

The Supreme Court’s verdict on the constitutional validity of Aadhaar is a major embarrassment for the Narendra Modi government. On the other hand, the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) could claim that their version of Aadhaar was saved and can claim victory.

The petitioners wanted the Aadhaar Act to be struck down in its entirety. This was refused by four out of five judges, which means, legally and constitutionally, Aadhaar is valid but with terms and conditions applied. In his judgment, Justice DY Chandrachud wrote that Aadhaar in its entirety is unconstitutional. He further added that it was wrong to table Aadhaar as a money bill.

Huge Relief for Common People

Private companies were forcing you, applying pressure on you to link your SIM card with Aadhaar. Now, this practice will be put to an end. Banks and mobile companies can’t compel you to share your Aadhaar number anymore.

The apex court has struck down Section 57 of the Aadhaar Act. Even for public distribution schemes (PDS), if there is authentication failure for any individual, that can not be the grounds of denying him or her the government services.

The way the government was aggressively defending Aadhaar on all the fronts, one thing is sure, the Supreme Court verdict is nothing short of a setback.

Govt Must Introduce a Data Protection Law: SC

The court has also instructed the government to introduce a data protection law that will ensure the safety of the personal data of individuals. The Supreme Court further added that the present draft of data protection law isn’t strong enough to safeguard the privacy of citizens.