Centre extends the deadline of Aadhaar linking with government schemes to March 31

The Centre on Thursday told the Supreme Court that it is willing to extend the deadline for linking the Aadhaar card to the various government schemes for a further period of three months i.e. up to March 31, 2018. Currently, the last date for linking Aadhaar card is till December 31, 2017. A bench headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra also comprising of Justice A M Khanwilkar and D Y Chandrachud was hearing a petition challenging the constitutional validity of Aadhaar scheme. Senior Advocate Shyam Diwan, representing the petitioner in the case told the court that the Centre should give an undertaking, ensuring that no coercive action will be taken against such citizens who failed to link their 12 digit unique identification number with the government schemes. The petitioner also urged the court to decide on the status of the existing Aadhaar holders who are not willing to link their Aadhaar. Attorney General KK Venugopal, informed the Apex Court, that the centre is willing to extend the deadline for linking of Aadhaar. However, such extension will not include linking of mobile phones with Aadhaar. The deadline for the same is February 6, 2018 as the Centre is complying with the order of the Supreme Court in the Lok Niti Foundation case in which the court asked the Centre to speed up the verification process of the mobile phone users. The Supreme Court assured that a constitutional bench will be hearing the matter next week and will be deciding on the grant of interlocutory reliefs. The Constitutional bench will also be fixing the final date of hearing of the case. The present petition challenges the constitutional validity of the Aadhaar scheme as it requires the submission of fingerprints and iris scan that directly violates the bodily and informational privacy of the individual which is now a Fundamental right.