NEW DELHI: Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad on Sunday (January 6) has said the government will soon make it mandatory for linking Aadhaar with driving licences.
The proposal was announced the Minister for Law, Electronics and IT while delivering a presidential address at the 106th Indian Science Congress at Lovely Professional University
“We are soon going to bring a law which will make it mandatory to link Aadhaar with driving licences,” news agency Press Trust of India quoted Prasad as saying.
The government claims that the move will help in better identification of licence holders and illegal duplication of driving licences.
Explaining the need for the linkage, Prasad said, “At present, what happens is that the guilty person who causes an accident flees the scene and gets a duplicate licence. This helps him go scot-free,” said Prasad.
“However, with the Aadhaar linkage, you can change your name but you cannot change your biometrics, iris or fingerprints. So the moment you go in for a duplicate licence, the system will say this person already has a driving licence and should not be given a new one,” he added.
The mandatory linkage of 12-digit unique identification number with a driving licence can be done through law, said the publication citing sources.
Last year, the Supreme Court restricted the use of Aadhaar for govt welfare schemes only. It ruled that the Aadhar card is not needed for school admissions and mobile phone connections.
It is also not mandatory for UGC, NEET and CBSE Exams.