SC refers to Constitution bench plea against making Aadhaar mandatory

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court today referred to a Constitution bench a plea seeking that the Aadhaar card be not made mandatory for the tribal communities from Gujarat and Maharashtra.

A bench of Justices R K Agrawal and M M Shantanagoudar referred the petition to a Constitution bench saying similar pleas would be adjudicated by a larger bench.

The plea, filed through advocate Manoj Gorkela on behalf of adivasi communities from remote areas of Maharashtra and Gujarat, has sought intervention of the apex court to exempt them as students of their communities are denied admission to schools and hostels merely due "non-availability" of the Aadhaar card.

"The petitioners are the people from adivasi communities belonging to Gujarat and Maharashtra. The petitioners are aggrieved by the capricious imposition of the mandate of the Aadhaar card as they are deprived the benefit of number of social benefit schemes," the plea said.

It further that a majority of adivasi communities are oblivious of the concept of the Aadhaar card as they never felt necessity for the same, but its mandatory imposition has made their life extremely miserable.

The apex court has referred this matter to a Constitution bench which would hear the pleas challenging the validity of the Aadhaar Act and also the government's move to make it mandatory for availing the benefits of various social welfare schemes.