Amended Aadhaar Act Bill Passed In The Lok Sabha

A bill to amend the Aadhaar Act and two other related laws has been passed in the Lok Sabha which allows individuals to give their biometric ID voluntarily for identity verification to obtain various services like opening a bank account or getting a mobile connection.

The Aadhaar and Other Laws (Amendment) Bill proposes changes in the Aadhaar Act, Indian Telegraph Act and the Prevention of Money Laundering Act to comply with a Supreme Court judgement pronounced on September 26 last year, in which it upheld the constitutional validity of unique identification project with certain restrictions and changes. The apex court has prohibited the compulsory use of Aadhaar based KYC for mobile connections and bank accounts.

The bill will also give a minor the option to opt out of the 12-digit identity scheme on attaining the age of 18 years. There are also stiff penalties for violation of Aadhaar norms.

The Aadhaar and Other Laws (Amendment) Bill 2018, that was moved by the Union Electronics and IT Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday, bans storing core biometric information as well as Aadhaar number by service providers in cases of individuals who have voluntarily offered the national ID as a means of authentication.

It also clarifies that anyone cannot be denied a service like banking or SIM card on the grounds that he/she has not offered Aadhaar proof.