The Centre today told the Supreme Court that it is willing to extend till 31st March next year the deadline for mandatory linking of Aadhaar to avail various services and benefits of government schemes. <br/><br/>Attorney General KK Venugopal told a bench, headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra, that 6th February will, however, remain the deadline for linking Aadhaar for availing uninterrupted mobile services as it had been mandated by the apex court.<br/><br/>The advocate, appearing for those who are opposed to Aadhaar scheme, told the bench that the central government should give an undertaking that no coercive steps will be taken against those who fail to link their Aadhaar.<br/><br/>Meanwhile, the apex court will set up a Constitution Bench next week to hear interim pleas seeking stay on Centre's move to link Aadhaar with various schemes and services.<br/><br/>The apex court had, in October, said that a Constitution Bench would commence hearing on the clutch of petitions against Aadhaar scheme from the last week of November.<br/><br/>A nine-judge constitution bench of the apex court had held that Right to Privacy was a Fundamental Right under the Constitution. Several petitioners challenging the validity of Aadhaar had claimed it violated privacy rights.

The Centre today told the Supreme Court that it is willing to extend till 31st March next year the deadline for mandatory linking of Aadhaar to avail various services and benefits of government schemes. <br/><br/>Attorney General KK Venugopal told a bench, headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra, that 6th February will, however, remain the deadline for linking Aadhaar for availing uninterrupted mobile services as it had been mandated by the apex court.<br/><br/>The advocate, appearing for those who are opposed to Aadhaar scheme, told the bench that the central government should give an undertaking that no coercive steps will be taken against those who fail to link their Aadhaar.<br/><br/>Meanwhile, the apex court will set up a Constitution Bench next week to hear interim pleas seeking stay on Centre's move to link Aadhaar with various schemes and services.<br/><br/>The apex court had, in October, said that a Constitution Bench would commence hearing on the clutch of petitions against Aadhaar scheme from the last week of November.<br/><br/>A nine-judge constitution bench of the apex court had held that Right to Privacy was a Fundamental Right under the Constitution. Several petitioners challenging the validity of Aadhaar had claimed it violated privacy rights.

The Supreme Court today said it would hear a batch of petitions challenging mandatory linking of Aadhaar for granting various services to citizen after its constitution bench concludes hearing the Delhi-Centre dispute. <br/><br/>The bench, comprising Chief Justice Dipak Misra, Justices A M Khanwilkar and D Y Chandrachud, said only the Constitution bench will pass an interim order in the matter. The petitioners challenging the Aadhaar scheme have been pressing for an interim stay order on the government's decision to make Aadhaar mandatory for welfare schemes.<br/><br/>Meanwhile, the Centre informed the bench that it was willing to extend up to March 31 next year the deadline fixed for mandatory linking of Aadhaar with various schemes. Presently, the last date to link Aadhaar with bank accounts is December 31 this year while for mobile numbers, it is February 6, 2018.