Aadhaar is not mandatory for registration on the CoWIN portal for COVID-19 vaccination, the government confirmed in the Supreme Court on Monday.
A Bench led by Justice D.Y. Chandrachud was informed by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare that one of the nine identity documents, including passport, driving licence, PAN card, voter ID card, ration card, can be produced for vaccination.
The court took note of the submission and disposed of a plea filed by Siddharthshankar Sharma, who claimed that the Aadhaar card was a mandatory requirement for access to the vaccine.
Affidavit
The court, however, recorded that pursuant to it taking cognisance of Mr. Sharma’s case in October last, the Health Ministry has filed an affidavit affirming that Aadhaar was not mandatory, and any one of nine identity documents would ensure access to the vaccine.
The plea had sought effective and non-discriminatory enforcement of the already notified rules/ policies in the entire country in a uniform manner for the protection of the right to vaccination granted to citizens of India, which is dangerously endangered on account of denial of vaccination due to non-submission of Aadhaar details to the authority concerned.
"Such actions are in blatant violation of right to life under Article 21 read with right to equality under Article 14 of the Constitution,” the petition argued.
