The Rajya Sabha today passed a Bill amending the Aadhaar law to allow voluntary use of Unique Identification Number as proof of identity for opening bank accounts, getting mobile phone connections and providing stiff penalties for unauthorised use of data.

The Aadhaar and Other Laws Bill, 2019, moved by Communication and IT Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad, was passed by a voice vote in the Upper House after it rejected the statutory resolution moved by Binoy Vishvam of the CPI disapproving the Aadhaar and Other laws Ordinance, promulgated by the President on March 21, 2019.

The Bill, which also provides an option to children to withdraw from Aadhaar database after attaining the age of 18, was already passed by the Lok Sabha on July 4. It was introduced in the Lower House on June 24.

Prasad clarified that the Supreme Court has clearly stated that Aadhaar subserved the legitimate purposes and it did not violate the principle of privacy. “India has a population of 130 crore out of which 123.81 crore Indians are having Aadhaar. 69.38 crore mobile numbers are linked with Aadhaar and 65.91 crore bank accounts are linked with Aadhaar. We have sent Rs 7.48 lakh crore of direct benefit transfer in more than 240 schemes to people around the country and we have saved Rs 1.41 lakh crore,” Prasad informed the House.

Noting that once a child becomes an adult, s/he has the right to withdraw or give fresh consent for obtaining Aadhaar, the minister said, “We have made amendments to the Telegraph Act whereby we have permitted the caveat that it shall not be mandatory but voluntary. The customer can come with Aadhaar or any other document like passport or any other document permitted by the regulations. In case of banks also it will not be mandatory by voluntary.” Under no circumstances, the services shall be denied to any of the beneficiary, he added.