Aadhaar news | Reply from UIDAI and Center for issue of new Aadhaar number to existing card holder

New Delhi : The Delhi High Court on Tuesday sought response of the Center and UIDAI on a plea seeking to devise a mechanism and procedure for issuing new numbers to existing Aadhaar card holders. Justice Rekha Palli issued the notice on a petition filed by businessman Rajan Arora. The petition has raised apprehensions that their personal details, including Aadhaar numbers, have been compromised.

The petition has urged the court to direct the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) to issue a new Aadhaar number to Arora and protect the fundamental right to privacy and prevent violation and damage. Advocate Zoheb Hussain, appearing for UIDAI, submitted that as soon as the Aadhaar number is issued, the person concerned and the number are ‘linked to each other for life’.

However, the court replied that if this were the case, UIDAI would have to issue a new Aadhaar number for exit holders under section 23(n) of the Aadhaar (Targeted Delivery of Financial and Other Subsidies, Benefits and Services) Act, 2016. is not given the power to determine the conditions of procedure. The court said you have the power. It cannot be read in such a factual manner (if it cannot be changed) then the rule has to be abolished. It can be used in any other way. The court said that it nevertheless agreed that an Aadhaar number cannot be changed at the ‘insistence and choice’ of the user.

In the petition filed through advocates Sonal Anand and Surbhi Singh, the petitioner informed the court that his Aadhaar number was found to be linked to some unknown foreign entities. Thereafter, he requested UIDAI to issue a new Aadhaar number in light of the grave threat to his identity. The next hearing of the case will be on September 9.