Fix date for Aadhaar linking, SC tells banks, telecos

The Supreme Court on Friday refused to stay the government orders for linking of Aadhaar with bank accounts and mobile numbers, saying all the petitions challenging the move would be considered by the Constitution bench in the last week of November.

A bench of Justices A K Sikri and Ashok Bhushan, however, clarified banks and mobile companies sending messages for mandatory linking of Aadhaar must specify the last date for it.

The last date to link Aadhaar with bank accounts is December 31 this year, while for linking mobile numbers it is February 6, 2018.

Hearing a batch of PILs seeking an interim order, the bench said, "Time has already been extended up to December 31. The Constitution bench will start hearing the main matter in the last week of November. The petitioners may press for any order then."

Attorney General K K Venugopal submitted a committee headed by former SC judge, Justice B N Srikrishna, has been set up to put in place a robust data protection regime.