Cabinet clears changes in Aadhaar Bill for biometric use in State schemes

The Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved changes to Aadhaar and Other Laws (Amendment) Bill 2019 that incorporates a clause to allow use of Aadhaar data for State schemes and subsidies. The amendment to the Aadhaar Act entails use of India’s national biometric ID by states governments for their schemes that are funded through the ‘Consolidated Fund of the State’. This is a post fact approval to the recently passed amendments to Aadhaar amendments.

“The states had demanded this. As per Supreme Court order, Aadhaar is allowed where the funds are going for beneficiary schemes coming straight from the central government. It will enable the use…The way subsidies to the central schemes are transferred from the central fund, Aadhaar can be used for transferring state subsidies,” Information and Broadcasting Minister Prakash Javadekar told reporters while briefing about the Cabinet decisions.