Those who have not linked their Aadhaar number with their bank accounts and mobile SIM cards can now rest easy. It is not just mobile phones and bank accounts, but it is not a must for issuance of passports as well. However, this will not apply to services and subsidies under section 7 of the Aadhaar Act , 2016.Section 7 of the Aadhaar Act states that Central or State Governments can make possession of an Aadhaar number or Aadhaar authentication mandatory for receipt of subsidies, benefits or services funded out of the Consolidated Fund of India. Last year saw several controversies on linking of the 12-digit biometric number with various government services. While, the Supreme Court is yet to decide on several petitions to make Aadhaar mandatory for government services and the overarching matter of citizens' right to privacy, it has now extended the Aadhaar linking deadline for bank accounts and mobile SIM cards.

Source: Economic Times March 13, 2018 12:18 UTC