The government introduced the Aadhaar Amendment Bill in Lok Sabha on Monday 24^th June, with strong provision to stop the abuse of ‘Aadhaar’ and to maintain its privacy.  After getting the approval of the bill, it will replace the ordinance brought on behalf of the government in this regard.

The Bill to amend the Aadhar Amendment Bill, Amendment Act, 2016 and the Indian Standards Act, 1885 and the amendment to the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 was introduced in the Lok Sabha yesterday. Union Minister for Communications & Information Technology Ravi Shankar Prasad presented the Aadhaar and Other Forms (Amendment) Bill, 2019. Senior Left leader N.K. Premachandran opposed the bill on three key grounds — it violates an earlier Supreme Court judgment, allows for private agencies to store data and violates fundamental rights.

Ravi Shankar Prasad said that the Aadhar is a valid law.  There is no violation of someone’s privacy.  It is already clear that basis is not mandatory in services such as buying a SIM card or opening a bank account.

SOME PROVISIONS WERE CANCELLED

The Supreme Court last year repealed certain provisions based on the law in its decision in order to protect the fundamental rights of people and retain their privacy.  This bill has been brought in view of this.

WHAT IS IN THIS BILL?

Through this, the children holding the Aadhaar number are given the option to cancel their Aadhar number upon completing the age of eighteen. Through this it is to provide voluntary use of Aadhaar numbers in physical or electronic form by authentication or offline verification or any other manner, which will be notified by the Central Government. The authentication of the offline verification of Aadhaar number can be done only with the consent of the Aadhaar number holder.  Including the refusal to deny services if denied or unable to authenticate.  Under this, the provision for establishment of a unique identity authority fund has been made.

Tanya Trivedi

  Aadhar, India