Aadhaar not mandatory for COVID-19 vaccination: Centre to SC

The central government informed the Supreme Court on February 7, 2022, that submitting Aadhaar card details is not mandatory on the CO-WIN portal for the COVID-19 vaccination. This came after the top court asked the authorities not to insist on asking for Aadhaar card details from people in order to get vaccinated. 

The Supreme Court was hearing some petitions that claimed that some centres were insisting on Aadhaar card details for vaccination. The SC bench comprising Justices DY Chandrachud and Surya Kant asked the authorities not to insist on the Aadhaar card as the only proof of identification for the purpose of COVID-19 vaccination.

Responding to the same, the Health Ministry filed an affidavit in the petition, specifically recording that the Aadhaar card is not mandatory for registration on the CO-WIN portal. Any one of the nine listed documents can be produced for identification. 

The Supreme Court bench said while disposing of the PIL after centre's reponse that all concerned authority shall act in pursuant to the policy of the health ministry.

87 lakh people without identity vaccinated

Aman Sharma, an advocate appearing on behalf of the ministry, informed the Supreme Court bench that Aadhaar is not the only pre-condition and 87 lakh people without any identity card have been vaccinated.

Background 

The PIL was filed by a Pune-based lawyer and social activist, Sidharthshankar Sharma, contenting that the vaccination centres should not ask for Aadhaar card.

The plea south directions to eliminate the mandatory pre-condition of submitting Aadhaar details in the CO-WIN portal for the COVID-19 vaccination centre and also sought direction for the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology to make necessary changes to the CO-WIN portal in consonance with the relief sought.