Supreme Court acknowledges 1.1 billion enrolled in Aadhaar scheme

It matters to citizens because it determines the legal validity of the national identity system and its impact on the fundamental right to privacy.

Who it concerns: The judgment concerns the Petitioners (Justice K.S. Puttaswamy (Retd.) and Mr. Pravesh Khanna), the Respondents (Union of India and others), the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI), and the general public enrolled in the Aadhaar scheme (approximately 1.1 billion people).

What the document says

• The case challenges the Aadhaar scheme, which was conceptualized in 2006, launched in 2009, and later given statutory cover by the Aadhaar (Targeted Delivery of Financial and Other Subsidies, Benefits and Services) Act, 2016.
• The petitioners argue that the Aadhaar project violates the fundamental right to privacy under Article 21 of the Constitution of India and creates a surveillance state.
• The Court notes that the scheme was initially implemented via administrative action before the 2016 Act was passed.
• The judgment is delivered by Justice A.K. Sikri on behalf of the Chief Justice and Justice A.M. Khanwilkar.
• The Court states it will examine the issues objectively on the touchstone of constitutional provisions, noting it was not influenced by external views from international bodies or public debate.

Also in the document

• The document notes that the Aadhaar scheme has enrolled almost 1.1 billion people in India.
• The Court acknowledges that the issue has generated heated public debate, with both commoners and intelligentsia divided on the scheme's merits and risks.
• The judgment references the historical formation of the scheme, including approvals by the Department of Information Technology in 2006 and the constitution of UIDAI by Notification No. A-43011/02/2009-Admn.I on January 28, 2009.