The Supreme Court on Tuesday issued notice on a Public Interest Litigation filed by Advocate Ashwini Kumar Upadhyay seeking directions to restrict the use of Aadhaar strictly as a proof of identity. A Bench comprising Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Justice V. Mohana sought responses from the Union and state Governments on the plea, which alleges that Aadhaar is increasingly being used for purposes beyond the scope contemplated under law.
The petition contends that Aadhaar was conceived only as a means of establishing identity and cannot be treated as proof of citizenship, domicile, residence, age, or other legal status. Referring to Section 9 of the Aadhaar (Targeted Delivery of Financial and Other Subsidies, Benefits and Services) Act, 2016, the plea argues that Aadhaar does not confer any right of citizenship or domicile and should not be used as a foundational document for administrative and electoral processes requiring verification of such attributes.
The court issued notice on the petition.