Supreme Court to Hear Petition on Aadhaar Card Usage Today

The Supreme Court is set to hear a public interest litigation today regarding the usage of Aadhaar cards. The petition, filed by Ashwini Kumar Upadhyay, argues that Aadhaar cards are being used as proof of citizenship, residence, and date of birth, which is beyond their legal scope. The plea requests the court to limit Aadhaar's usage strictly to identity verification, as per the Aadhaar Act, 2016.

The petition also raises concerns about Aadhaar being used for voter registration verification, claiming that current processes under Form-6 are insufficient to prevent unauthorized entries in voter lists. It suggests reforms in the verification framework and proposes the formation of a high-level monitoring committee comprising retired Supreme Court judges, cybersecurity experts, and forensic specialists.

The bench of Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justice V. Mohana may hear the case. The petitioner has highlighted issues such as Aadhaar being used for school admissions, property purchases, and obtaining other documents like ration cards and driving licenses, which allegedly enable illegal migrants to acquire further documentation.

In 2018, the Supreme Court upheld the constitutionality of the Aadhaar Act but imposed restrictions on its usage, ruling that Aadhaar linkage for bank accounts and mobile SIM cards is not mandatory, while its use for government subsidies and welfare schemes is valid.

The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) is reportedly considering redesigning Aadhaar cards to include only the holder's photo and QR code, removing other details to prevent misuse. These changes may be implemented by December.

Key Points
- Supreme Court to hear a petition on Aadhaar card usage today.
- Petition seeks restrictions on Aadhaar's use as proof of citizenship, residence, and date of birth.
- Concerns raised about voter registration verification and illegal migrants obtaining documents.
- Supreme Court previously upheld Aadhaar's constitutionality with usage limitations.
- UIDAI may redesign Aadhaar cards to prevent misuse, focusing on photo and QR code only.