New Delhi: Banks and post offices will continue to enrol people for Aadhaar and update their data, the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) has said.
The Supreme Court has only ruled that Aadhaar is not mandatory for opening bank accounts, but the norms set for banks and post offices to undertake enrolment and update will stay as these are different from authentication services, Ajay Bhushan Pandey, Chief Executive Officer of the UIDAI, said.
Vital role
“As Aadhaar is going to be used in the offline mode for opening bank accounts and other services, and because the use of Aadhaar in Direct Benefit Transfer and PAN-Income Tax returns has also been held constitutional, the role of banks is going to be vital in the entire Aadhaar ecosystem. So, Aadhaar enrolment and update undertaken by banks and post offices will continue,” Mr. Pandey said.
Ayushman Bharat
Aadhaar is not mandatory to avail benefits for the first time under the recently-launched Ayushman Bharat-Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY) but will be compulsory for those seeking treatment under the scheme for the second time, according to a top official. In case the Aadhaar number is not available, beneficiaries have to at least provide documents to prove that they have enrolled for Aadhaar.