Aadhaar architect Nandan Nilekani Wednesday said the Supreme Court judgement on constitutional validity of Aadhaar is "landmark" as it will help residents assert ownership over their data.
The former Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) chairman, in a tweet, said the judgement has "unequivocally validated" the founding principles of the 12-digit identification number that is "critical" to the developmental goals of the nation.
"The resident was once again recognised as being at the heart of the project, and they have gained new rights that help them assert their ownership over their data," he said.
Holding there was nothing in the Aadhaar Act that violates right to privacy of an individual, a five-judge constitution bench headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra in a 4 to 1 verdict also cleared the use of Aadhaar for welfare schemes after a long-drawn legal battle against the government's ambitious project, which incorporates the world's largest biometric ID database.
It ruled that furnishing Aadhaar details will not mandatory for bank accounts, mobile connections or school admissions but held that Aadhaar would remain mandatory for filing of Income Tax(IT) returns and allotment of Permanent Account Number (PAN).
"More than just opining on the constitutionality of the act, the SC has unequivocally validated the founding principles for Aadhaar. Aadhaar is a unique identity project that is critical to the developmental goals of the nation," Nilekani said.
Terming the SC judgement as "landmark", Nilekani said Aadhaar has undergone the "ultimate scrutiny" in the highest court in the country and a lot of recommendations have been incorporated.
"Through the democratic process of discussion and debate, we have created a better and stronger Aadhaar together...Aadhaar includes, it doesn't exclude," the co-founder of IT major Infosys said.
UIDAI -- which is the issuing authority for Aadhaar -- also welcomed the judgment saying it has now been established that the 12-digit biometric ID respects human dignity and does not violate privacy.
"Aadhaar as an idea is fully upheld that it does not create a surveillance state and does not violate privacy," it said in a statement. "The verdict Aadhaar is a tool of empowerment of the marginalised sections of the society."
UIDAI CEO Ajay Bhushan Pandey said: "Aadhaar has come out winning as the champion of the empowerment of people, especially the marginalised sections of the society and also as the key to the welfare schemes delivery of the government that has eradicated the fakes, duplicates and middlemen. The verdict is a victory for UIDAI and the Government of India and has also set the pace of India's digital destiny".
He, however, added that some reasonable conditions and restrictions on private usages have been imposed as safeguards that would further strengthen Aadhaar as the unique identity in the service of the people, especially the poor.
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