Aadhaar Bill passed in Lok Sabha amid privacy concerns
It was passed as a Money Bill, which means it does not require the approval of the Rajya Sabha, where the Opposition is in the majority.
The Aadhaar Bill was passed in Lok Sabha on Friday, which intends to provide for targeted delivery of subsidies and services to individuals residing in India by assigning them unique identity numbers. The Bill was passed amid the Opposition's concerns that privacy of residents will be compromised. The government, however, assured the Lower House that personal data cannot be leaked. Finance Minister Arun Jaitley also rejected the Opposition's demand of referring the Bill to a standing committee, insisting that its focus was entirely on the usage of government money for targeted subsidy, reported PTI.
Jaitley also asserted that it was a Money Bill, which can only be introduced in the Lok Sabha. The Rajya Sabha cannot make amendments in a Money Bill passed by the Lok Sabha. Earlier, the Congress had said the central government wanted it to be passed as a Money Bill to avoid voting in the Rajya Sabha, where it does not have a majority.
Since it was launched by the United Progressive Alliance government in 2009, the unique identification project called Aadhaar has functioned without a legal framework. The project had been running so far under an executive order, which means Parliament had no oversight over it.