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Government may allow citizens to opt out of Aadhaar, says report

Updated : December 06, 2018 04:07 PM IST

The law ministry while scrutinizing the proposal recommended that the opposition to withdraw be made available to all citizens.

In September, a five-judge bench of Supreme Court upheld the constitutional validity of Aadhaar.

The government is in the process to finalise a proposal to amend the Aadhaar Act which will allow citizens to withdraw their Aadhaar number, including biometrics and data, reported The Hindu.

“The initial proposal was prepared by the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI). It submitted that once a child turns 18, he/she will be given six months to decide if he/she wants to withdraw,” a senior government official was quoted as saying in the report.

The law ministry while scrutinising the proposal recommended that the opposition to withdraw be made available to all citizens and not be restricted to a select group of people, the daily said.

In September, a five-judge bench of Supreme Court upheld the constitutional validity of Aadhaar and said that the act serves as a much larger public interest and it is unique.

Benefits of Aadhaar outweigh privacy concerns with respect to the collection of minimal data, the apex court said.