Justice K.S.Puttaswamy(Retd) vs Union Of India on 26 September, 2018
dated January 28, 2009. The object of the establishment of the said Authority was primarily to lay
down policies to implement the Unique Identification Scheme (for short the UIS) of the
Government, by which residents of India were to be provided unique identity number. The aim was
to serve this as proof of identity, which is unique in nature, as each individual will have only one
identity with no chance of duplication. Another objective was that this number could be used for
identification of beneficiaries for transfer of benefits, subsidies, services and other purposes. This
was the primary reason, viz. to ensure correct identification of targeted beneficiaries for delivery of
various subsidies, benefits, services, grants, wages and other social benefits schemes which are
funded from the Consolidated Fund of India. It was felt that the identification of real and genuine
beneficiaries had become a challenge for the Government. In the absence of a credible system to
authenticate identity of beneficiaries, it was becoming difficult to ensure that the subsidies, benefits
and services reach to intended beneficiaries. As per the Government, failure to establish identity was
proving to be major hindrance for the successful implementation of the welfare programmes and it
was hitting hard the marginalised section of the society and, in particular, women, children, senior
citizens, persons with disabilities, migrant unskilled and organised workers, and nomadic tribes.
After the establishment of the Authority, vide the aforesaid notification, it started enrolling the
residents of this country under the UIS. These residents also started using Aadhaar number allotted
to them. It was found that over a period of time, the use of Aadhaar number had increased manifold.
This necessitated ensuring security of the information contained in Aadhaar number as well as the
information that generated as a result of the use of Aadhaar numbers. It was, thus, felt desirable to
back the system with a Parliamentary enactment.
25) With this intention, the Aadhaar Bill was introduced with the following Introduction:
The Unique Identification Authority of India was established by a resolution of the
Government of India in 2009. It was meant primarily to lay down policies and to
implement the Unique Identification Scheme, by which residents of India were to be
provided unique identity number. This number wold serve as proof of identity and
could be used for identification of beneficiaries for transfer of benefits, subsidies,
services and other purposes.
Later on, it was felt that the process of enrollment, authentication, security,
confidentiality and use of Aadhaar related information be made statutory so as to
facilitate the use of Aadhaar number for delivery of various benefits, subsidies and
services, the expenditures of which were incurred from or receipts therefrom formed
part of the Consolidated Fund of India.
The Aadhaar (Targeted Delivery of Financial and Other Subsidies, Benefits and Services) Bill, 2016
inter alia, provides for establishment of Unique Identification Authority of India, issuance of
Aadhaar number to individuals, maintenance and updating of information in the Central Identities
Data Repository, issues pertaining to security, privacy and confidentiality of information as well as
offences and penalties for contravention of relevant statutory provisions.
Indian Kanoon - http://indiankanoon.org/doc/127517806/
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