Will continue with Aadhaar scheme: Centre to Supreme Court

NEW DELHI: The Centre has told the Supreme Court that the Unique Identification Authority of India will "continue to act", indicating continuation of the process of enrolling citizens for Aadhaar cards under the initiative launched by the previous government.

The Congress-led UPA government had in 2009 formed the authority and launched the programme subsequently to eliminate leaks in subsidies and other social benefits. It has been used by the Narendra Modi-led NDA government, which took charge in May 2014, for cash transfers in lieu of gas subsidies, earning the ire of several individuals and activists opposed to it.

The "authority will continue to act", Solicitor General Ranjit Kumar yesterday told a bench comprising Chief Justice of India HL Dattu and AK Sikri in his short reply.

The bench had asked the government during the last hearing on February 2 whether it intended to continue Aadhaar.

The court is examining several petitions challenging the legal validity of Aadhaar on the grounds that it lacks sanction of law and is invasive in nature. It has in the meantime directed the central and state governments not to deny social benefits to anyone on the grounds that a person lacks an Aadhaar card.

The last petition opposing Aadhaar was filed by Bengaluru resident Mathew Thomas, a former army officer and defence missile scientist turned social activist, who had accused the new government of "slyly" pushing ahead with Aadhaar.

Thomas had alleged, through senior advocate Gopal Subramanium, that the government was insisting on linking bank accounts with Aadhaar for direct transfer of LPG subsidy and was also using it to ensure attendance of government servants. He urged the court to immediately stop this.

"Our democratic Constitution does not permit such state surveillance. UID is the first step towards profiling, tracking and stereotyping. Mere production of ID cards by people, upon demand by police, would neither absolve such persons from suspicion nor would it prevent them from indulging in criminal activities," he said.