Bill to allow voluntary use of Aadhaar for SIMs, bank a/c
Provisions allow option for children to opt out of it upon attaining age of 18
The Centre on Wednesday introduced a Bill in Parliament that propose amendments to various laws that govern the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI)'s Aadhaar system. The move came after a Supreme Court verdict earlier curtailed the biometric authentication programme. The Aadhaar And Other Laws (Amendment) Bill 2018, which was approved by the cabinet two weeks ago was introduced in Lok Sabha by IT Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad amidst sharp criticism from Opposition benches, who said the proposed law has failed to address privacy issues. The government has proposed a penalty of up to Rs 1 crore on entities that violate the provisions of the Aadhaar Act, with an additional fine of up to Rs. 10 lakh per day in case of continuous non-compliance.The provisions include to make the biometric scheme voluntary, and options to cancel Aadhaar numbers when one turns 18. The most controversial change, however, are two proposed amendments to the Telegraph Act and the Prevention of Money Laundering Act. The amendments will allow banks and telecom operators to continue using voluntary Aadhaar authentication as a means of linking Aadhaar numbers to bank accounts and mobile SIM cards. When Prasad introduced the Bill in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday, it drew sharp criticism from opposition party members. Congress MP Shashi Tharoor said it would enable "private organisations to get Aadhaar details which are in violation of the Supreme Court judgment" and that it failed to protect the right to privacy.