SC extends deadline of linking Aadhaar to bank a/c to March 31

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday approved the Centre's submissions to extend the deadline of linking Aadhaar with bank accounts and for availing various social welfare benefits to March 31.

The Constitution Bench of five judges comprising Chief Justice Dipak Misra, and Justices AK Sikri, AM Kanwilkar, DY Chandrachud and Ashok Bhusan also extended the deadline to link Aadhaar with mobile numbers to March 31. Earlier, the deadline for Aadhaar-mobile number linking was February 6.

For opening bank new bank accounts without an Aadhaar number, the Supreme Court said the applicant needs to submit at the bank the proof that s/he has applied for the unique identification card.

The Constitution bench heard Attorney General KK Venugopal for the Centre and a battery of lawyers led by Gopal Subramanium, seeking stay of the notifications, before pronouncing the order.

The bench will next hear the validity of Aadhaar law from January 17, 2018.

At the outset, Venugopal had informed the apex court that the Government has decided to extend the deadline till March 31 for linking of Aadhaar with existing bank accounts.

For opening of new accounts in banks, linking of Aadhaar has to be done by March 31 or within six months from the date of commencement of bank account – whichever is later.

On Thursday, senior counsel Shyam Divan had submitted that Aadhaar has been made mandatory for bank accounts and welfare schemes in violation of an earlier order of the Supreme Court, which had permitted it only for six schemes.

Aadhaar has been made mandatory for board exams, scholarships, noon meal programme, cremation of dead persons, higher education by the education boards and the University Grants Commission. Even HIV-positive patients are denied treatment if they do not have Aadhaar, Dhivan said.