Aadhaar made mandatory for mobile connections

Why in news?

The Department of Telecommunications issued a notification on 24^th March, 2017, directing all phone service providers to re-verify details for all existing subscribers through Aadhaar-based e-KYC (Know Your Customer) process.

What did the notification say?

• The move follows a Supreme Court order in February 2017, in which the SC had approved the government’s plan to record the identification details of mobile subscribers through an e-KYC mechanism linked to Aadhaar.
• The move will impact more than 100 crore mobile phone subscribers in the country, 90% of whom are prepaid card users.
• Telcos have been directed by the government to intimate their existing subscribers about the Aadhaar-based eKYC re-verification process through all means possible, including through text messages.
• The department has aslo asked that companies devise a mechanism to avoid public inconvenience as well as long public queues.
• The process is likely to cost about Rs 2,500 crore which will be borne by the service providers.

Where else the Aadhaar was made mandatory?

• The Centre had identified 31 schemes in which the Aadhaar could be made mandatory.
• Notifications have been issued to make Aadhaar compulsory for getting subsidised grains under the Food Security Act,  jobs under the MGNREGA and pension benefits under the Employees’ Pension Scheme.
• Aadhaar was made mandatory for individuals to apply for a PAN card and for filing income tax returns from July 1, 2017.
• The Centre also made it mandatory for beneficiaries to quote their Aadhaar number to avail benefits under the Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana, and the Self Employment Scheme for Rehabilitation of Manual Scavengers.

Source: The Hindu