Citizens without a PAN card could soon be allowed to withdraw their Aadhaar number: Report

Following the **Supreme Court judgment** back in September, which upheld the validity of the Aadhaar system, the government is now reportedly in the last stages of finalising a proposal to amend the Aadhaar Act. The move will give all citizens the option to opt out of the Aadhaar system letting them withdraw their Aadhaar number, which also includes removing connected biometrics and collected data. [caption id=“attachment_4865121” align=“alignnone” width=“1024”] Representational image.[/caption] As reported by The Hindu, a senior official said that “The initial proposal was prepared by the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI). It submitted that once a child turns 18, he/she will be given six months to decide if he/she wants to withdraw,” While the earlier proposal was limited to a particular group, the Law Ministry recommended that all citizens should be given an option to withdraw. Those wanting to opt out of Aadhaar need not rejoice just yet. This is because the proposal will in all probability only benefit those who do not have a PAN card or do not require a new PAN card. As for those who have a PAN card, it will still have to be linked with **Aadhaar** as per the Supreme Court’s decision. The proposal will soon be sent to the Cabinet. Apart from allowing withdrawal from Aadhaar, the proposal seeks to appoint an officer to take charge and decide on whether a person’s Aadhaar data needs to be disclosed in matters concerning national security.