Aadhaar linking deadline extended indefinitely till Supreme Court delivers order

The Supreme Court extended on Tuesday the March 31 deadline to link Aadhaar with various services till a constitution bench hearing the matter delivers a judgment. Petitioners opposed to the mandatory linking of Aadhaar with bank accounts, phone numbers and other services had sought an extension of the deadline for such linkage.

They argue that the mandatory linking of the 12-digit unique identity number with services will compromise an individual’s privacy. A five-judge constitution bench headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra, however, said Aadhaar will continue to be mandatory for direct benefit transfers. In December, the court extended the last date for completion of the process to link Aadhaar with services to March 31.