The Lok Sabha on Wednesday passed the Aadhaar Bill, 2016 intended to offer better delivery of subsidies via the Aadhar unique identity number. The passage of the Bill was heralded by heated discussion in the Rajya Sabha involving Opposition members.

Here are some salient features of the bill.

What is Aadhar Bill?

The Bill aims to provide better targetting of subsidies and services to individuals residing in India by giving them unique identity numbers, called Aadhaar numbers.

To get an Aadhaar number the details that are required are (i) biometric (photograph, finger print, iris scan) and (ii) demographic (name, date of birth, address) information.

The UID authority will confirm the Aadhaar number of an individual, if an entity makes a request. The UID authority is not allowed to share an individual's biometric information such as finger print and iris scan.

Why did the Opposition object to the Bill?

The Opposition argues that the Aadhaar Bill has been presented as a money Bill only to avoid the ruling NDA's minority status in the Rajya Sabha. Moreover the case on whether the application of the Aadhaar number invades the privacy of a person is still going on in the Supreme Court.

Why is the Bill important?

For the government, passing the bill had become imperative after the Supreme Court gave an interim order in October 2015 saying the Aadhaar number cannot be made compulsory for availing benefits or subsidies or services of the government. The Bill will allow the government to set up a statutory body for the Aadhaar card scheme. This will enable banks to use the Aadhaar number as identification for customers, which will help them remove fake Jan Dhan accounts.