As expected the Supreme Court has extended indefinitely the March 31 deadline for mandatory linkage of Aadhaar to most services including banking to the relief of all those who are struggling to update or get Aadhaar due to administrative issues. Government is demeaning Aadhaar importance by linking it to all sundry which is not the purpose for what it was meant for. Also, security is an issue as many frauds were unearthed where citizens had linked their Aadhaar number which needs to be rectified before it is made mandatory.
Citizens have no issues with linking Aadhaar if it is for convenience and for a simplified life. But they need to be assured of secured linkage which prevents frauds. Also, modification in Aadhaar details need to be simplified so change in address, cell numbers etc. can be done with ease. Getting Aadhaar number should be without hurdles and every bank should be authorised to do it so that each citizen can have this Unique Identification Number and then it can be made mandatory!
(The views expressed by the author in the article are his/her own.)
