The Intelligence Bureau has raised objections to the possibility of Non Resident Indians (NRIs) and foreigners living in the country obtaining Aadhaar cards and has said the issuance of such cards was not based on proper verification of the applicant.
According to a report in the The Economic Times, the IB, during a meeting with senior government officials including those from the home ministry and UIDAI, said that unlike the National Population Register, where an official visits the residence of the application for verification of details, obtaining an Aadhaar card was relatively easier as it involved just verifying documents at the enrolment centre. “The IB feels that since ultimately both UIDAI and NPR data have to be collated and de-duplicated, it is feared that the issue of nationality may crop up as a major hassle at a later stage,” a home ministry official told the business daily. However, it is not just the IB that has raised questions on the effect such a move could have. The Supreme Court, in an order dated 23 September said the card should not be issued to immigrants living in the country. It had also ordered that the card was a voluntary one and therefore the government could not make it mandatory for availing its schemes. The government in an affidavit to the Supreme Court in October said over 53 crore residents have been enrolled under the scheme and it would help benefit those from the marginalised sections of society. “The fact is that in enrolling more than 53 crore residents in less than three years and setting a speed of enrolling 10 lakh residents per day, the UIDAI has conclusively established the ability to cover the entire population expeditiously and in a record time,” the affidavit had said.