Aadhaar must for opening bank accounts, tatkal passport: UIDAI

New Delhi: The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) on Tuesday said the requirement of Aadhaar for opening new bank accounts or applying for Tatkal passports will continue, while the deadline for linking it to existing bank accounts and PAN (permanent account number) has been extended by the Supreme Court.

“As per the Supreme Court’s order dated 13 March, 2018, the requirement of Aadhaar for opening new bank accounts and applying for Tatkal passports under the relevant laws continues,” the UIDAI, which issues the 12-digit biometric identification number, said in a late evening tweet.

It, however, added that “for those who do not have Aadhaar, they are required to apply for Aadhaar and provide the Aadhaar application number while applying for availing the aforesaid services.”

The Supreme Court on Tuesday extended the 31 March deadline for mandatory linking of Aadhaar to avail various services and welfare schemes run by the government till its constitution bench delivered its verdict on the validity of the 12-digit biometric number and its enabling law.

The extension of deadline would also apply on the mandatory linking of Aadhaar with the bank accounts and mobile phone numbers.