NEW DELHI:
The Supreme Court today extended till March 31 next year the deadline for mandatory linking of Aadhaar with various services and welfare schemes.
A five-judge Constitution Bench headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra, in an interim order, also modified its earlier order with regard to linking of Aadhaar with mobile services and said the deadline of February 6 next year for this purpose also stood extended till March 31. The bench, which also comprised Justices A K Sikri, A M Khanwilkar, D Y Chandrachud and Ashok Bhushan, said that for opening new bank accounts, an applicant will not be required to provide Aadhaar number to the bank.
However, the applicant will have to show the proof to the bank that he/she has applied for the Aadhaar number, Justice Chandrachud, who wrote the unanimous interim order, said. The apex court said the Constitution Bench would commence final hearing from January 17 on the petition challenging the Aadhaar scheme itself.
Yesterday, Attorney General K K Venugopal had submitted before the top court that the deadline of mandatory linking of Aadhaar with various services and welfare schemes can also be extended upto March 31 next year. Recently, a nine-judge constitution bench of the apex court had held that Right to Privacy was a Fundamental Right under the Constitution. Several petitioners challenging the validity of Aadhaar had claimed it violated privacy rights.
Some petitioners in the top court have termed the linking of the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) number with bank accounts and mobile numbers as “illegal and unconstitutional”.

more recommended stories
Aalekh Foundation Announces 3rd Edition of the Aalekh Women Achievers AwardsNEW DELHI:Anshu Arora, one of the.
Bihar Police Bans Makeup for Women Officers on DutyPATNA:The Bihar Police Headquarters has issued.
Shallow Earthquake of Magnitude 4.4 Jolts Delhi-NCRNEW DELHI:A relatively mild earthquake of.
India Gears up for First-Ever Digital Census In 2027 with Caste Data, Self-Enumeration FeaturesNEW DELHI:India is set to conduct.
Four of Family from Hyderabad Charred to Death in US AccidentHYDERABAD:Four members of a family from.
Stranded British Fighter Jet Goes Behind Curtains as Engineers Work HardTHIRUVANANTHAPURAM:A team of top aviation engineers.
Death Toll from Texas Floods Rises to Over 100HOUSTON:The death toll from flash floods.
Dalai Lama Attends ‘Long Life Prayer’ Organised by Tibetan Adminstration Ahead of 90th BirthdayNEW DELHI:A day before his 90th.
Arms-drug Smuggling Racket Busted in Amritsar, 9 Held with Heroin & WeaponsAMRITSAR:In a major breakthrough under the.
CBI Busts Massive Multi-state Medical College Scam, Top Officials & Godman NamedNEW DELHI:In a major crackdown, the.