Jaitley hails SC’s Aadhaar verdict, says the scheme helps save ₹90,000 crore a year
Arun Jaitley said the Supreme Court has made certain observations and the government has every intention to go by the judgement
New Delhi: The government on Wednesday welcomed the Supreme Court’s verdict on Aadhaar holding it constitutionally valid and said it is studying the judgment to understand the repercussions.
Addressing a press conference, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said the Supreme Court has made certain observations and the government has every intention to go by the judgement.
“While upholding the core of the legislation, the Supreme Court has made some observations. It has specified areas where we can’t go and where we need a legislation to go to," Jaitley said. He added the court has also flagged some procedural concerns which can be addressed.
He added that India cannot afford to be a technological laggard." It’s a great step forward in use of technology in governance," Jaitley said.
Jaitley said use of Aadhaar has helped the government save ₹ 90,000 crore in a year through targeting of beneficiaries and plugging leakages.
He added that those advocating against Aadhaar, electronic voting machines and India’s move towards a digital economy are trying to take Indian back.
The Supreme Court on Wednesday upheld the constitutional validity of Aadhaar but with a few riders. The court upheld linking of Aadhaar with the permanent account number (PAN) and with income tax returns but not for linkages with bank accounts and mobile numbers. It also struck down section 57 of the Aadhaar Act that allowed private companies to use the Aadhaar database or insist on it for their services.
Aadhaar’s role in eduction and admissions was also restricted as it was held that it could not be made compulsory for school admissions.
Responding to concerns about privacy and Aadhaar, Information and Technology and Law minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said the government is working to swiftly bring a data protection law.
“The Srikrishna committee report is out in public domain for stakeholder feedback. We are working on bringing a data protection law," said Prasad.
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