New Delhi: The Union Cabinet on Monday approved changes to the laws pertaining to Supreme Court’s September 26 judgment which will make Aadhaar voluntary for Mobile connection and Bank Accounts.
The Cabinet headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi approved amendment to the Telegraph Act and the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) after the Supreme Court in September imposed restrictions on the use of Aadhaar by private firms and struck down Section 57 of the Aadhaar Act which made the use of the biometric ID to buy SIM cards for mobiles and bank accounts mandatory.
The amendment of the Telegraph Act will provide legal validation for the issuance of mobile SIM cards through Aadhaar while the amendments to Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) will give individuals the option to link their bank accounts to Aadhaar in the KYC option.
Upholding the constitutional validity of Aadhaar, the Supreme Court in September said that it empowers the marginalized sections of the society. However, the apex court ruled that the 12-digit Unique Identification Number is not needed for school admissions, mobile phone connections, bank accounts or for UGC, NEET and CBSE Exams.
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Ms Kalinga