The Supreme Court will today hear at 2 PM the matter as to whether Aadhar card would remain optional for availing govt schemes and if its ongoing registration be stopped.<br/><br/>Earlier, the apex Court referred to a Constitution Bench, a batch of petitions challenging the Centre's ambitious scheme to provide Aadhar card to all citizens and decide whether right to privacy is a fundamental right. Allowing the Centre's plea, a three-judge bench comprising Justices J Chelameswar, S A Bobde and C Nagappan, framed various questions as to whether right to privacy is a fundamental right. If yes, then what would be contours of the right to privacy, the apex court said while referring the matter to Chief Justice H L Dattu for setting up the larger bench. The Centre had sought transfer of pleas against Aadhar to a larger bench, saying that a two-judge or a three-judge bench cannot decide it.<br/><br/>The government had earlier opposed a plea seeking initiation of contempt proceedings against it, Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and others for allegedly insisting on Aadhar cards to grant benefits of various schemes to citizens, saying it was not mandatory. In pursuance of earlier orders, the Centre has conveyed to states and authorities concerned not to make Aadhar cards, issued by Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI), mandatory for availing various schemes. The bench was hearing a batch of pleas against decisions of some states to make Aadhar cards compulsory for a range of activities including salary, provident fund disbursal, marriage and property registration.<br/><br/>Senior advocate Gopal Subramanium, appearing for one of the PIL petitioners, had filed an application seeking initiation of contempt proceedings against the Centre and others, including RBI, and the Election Commission alleging that the government and others were in violation of earlier orders that had said that no person should be denied any benefit or suffer for not having Aadhar cards.<br/>