1. Can Aadhaar be required for getting a new mobile connection? Is linking Aadhaar with mobile number mandatory?

No. The Supreme Court of India in Justice K. S. Puttaswamy (Retd.) and Anr. v. Union Of India And Ors. (CWP 494 of 2012) has held that mobile service companies cannot ask for Aadhaar from subscribers. The majority opinion held that the circular dated March 23, 2017 mandating linking of mobile number with Aadhaar is illegal and unconstitutional as it is not backed by any law.

The Supreme Court has delivered its much awaited judgment in the Aadhaar case, wherein the majoirty view, comprised of -  Dipak Misra CJI., AK Sikri J., AM Khanwilkar, J. and Ashok Bhushan J. (though Bhushan J. dissented with the majority on certain points) upheld the constitutionality of the Aadhaar Act, 2016 barring a few provisions on disclosure of personal information, cognizance of offences and use of the Aadhaar ecosystem by private corporations. DY Chandrachud J. delivered a dissenting opinion debasing the entire Aadhaar scheme along with the Act.

The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology has sought comments on the Draft Personal Data Protection Bill, 2018 by the 30th of September 2018. We are holding a Round Table discussion on the draft Bill on 27 September 2018 (Thursday) at the Abad Plaza, MG Road, Cochin from 4.30pm to 8.00pm with GTech (GTech is the collaborative of IT companies in Kerala) as our partner. This is an invite only event with experts from Civil Society, Government, Academia, Industry and Media.

The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology has sought comments on the Draft Personal Data Protection Bill, 2018 by the 30th of September 2018. We are holding a Round Table discussion on the draft Bill on 26 September 2018 (Wednesday) at the Taj Lands End, Bandra West, Mumbai from10.30am to 5.30pm. This is an invite only event with experts from Civil Society, Government, Academia, Industry and Media. The idea is to bring forward the perspectives of all stakeholders in order to build a comprehensive understanding of the issues in the Draft Personal Data Protection Bill, 2018.

The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology has sought comments on the Draft Personal Data Protection Bill, 2018 by the 30th of September 2018. We are holding a Round Table discussion on the draft Bill on 25 September 2018 (Tuesday) at the Hyatt Centric Hotel, MG Road, Bengaluru from 10.30am to 4.30pm. This is an invite only event with experts from Civil Society, Government, Academia, Industry and Media.

The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology has sought comments on the Draft Personal Data Protection Bill, 2018 by the 10th of September 2018. We are holding a Round Table discussion on the draft Bill on 04 September 2018 (Tuesday) at the India International Centre (Seminar Hall No. 1), New Delhi between 1:45-5:00 pm. This is an invite only event with experts from Civil Society, Academia, Industry and Media.

On April 25, 2018 the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting released a bid document (“SMCH Bid Document”) stating its intent to establish a Social Media Communication Hub (“SMCH”) which would enable processes such as analyzing large volumes of data across diverse digital platforms in real time, comprehensive analytics along with monitoring and analyzing social media communications etc.

Aadhaar Free Income Tax Return Filing; Courtesy Delhi High Court

As July 31, 2018, the deadline to file Income Tax returns for the Assessment Year 2018 – 2019, comes closer, the complexities and jargon behind whether or not Aadhaar Registration/ Enrollment ID (Aadhaar Number) has to be furnished/ linked become more and more relevant by the minute. Thankfully for us, the Delhi High Court has come to save the day.