New Delhi: People can use Aadhaar to authenticate their identity using biometrics for opening bank accounts and procuring mobile phone connections after the Lok Sabha passed a Bill on Thursday to allow voluntary use of the unique identity data.
Information technology minister Ravi Shankar Prasad assured the House that Aadhaar is voluntary and informed that the consent of the biometric identity holder has to be obtained before it was used.
“The amendments address the privacy and security concerns. It provides that no service or benefit of any scheme will be denied for lack of Aadhaar,” Mr Prasad said, adding that the amended Bill also provides for a stiff `1 crore penalty and a jail term for private entities for storing Aadhaar data.
“All safeguards are in place to prohibit misuse of Aadhaar biometrics. Iris and finger print data is stored in Indian machinery and it is safe and secure,” the minister said.
The Aadhaar and Other Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2019, which was passed by a voice vote on Thursday, would relax curbs imposed by a Supreme Court order on the use of Aadhaar-based biometric authentication by private entities.
The Bill also gives an option to children to exit from the biometric ID programme on attaining 18 years of age, while stipulating stiff penalties for violation of norms set for the use of Aadhaar and violation of privacy.
Opposing the bill, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, Leader of the Congress in the Lok Sabha, said the government used the ordinance route to bring in the legislation. He said the ordinance was issued by the last government (from 2014-19) and the current government has brought it as a legislation.
The government is “resorting to the ordinance route without any rhyme and reason”.
Participating in the debate, NCP MP Supriya Sule said, “You are cheating common man... What privacy we are talking about? Why is Aadhaar card compulsory? What is it? What is voter card then? We all have voter ID,” she said.
