Complete list of services exempted from Aadhaar as per Supreme Court directive 

The Supreme Court of India on Wednesday upheld the constitutionality of the Aadhaar scheme. The top court, in its verdict today, stated that "Aadhaar cannot be insisted upon in schools and private companies. CBSE, UGC and NEET making Adhaar making mandatory are bad," the ruling noted.

The verdict also rendered the unique identification number not mandatory for new mobile connections and banking services, however, it will still be required for Personal Account Number (PAN) and for filing ITR.

Here's a complete list of services which will no longer require a citizen to produce Aadhaar details:

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• School admissions
• Opening bank accounts
• Mobile connections
• CBSE, NEET and UGC exams

A five-judge constitution bench headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra held that while Aadhaar would remain mandatory for the filing of IT returns and allotment of Permanent Account Number (PAN), it would not be mandatory to link Aadhaar to bank accounts and telecom service providers cannot seek its linking of Aadhaar for mobile connections.

It would also not be mandatory for school admissions, as also for the examinations conducted by the Central Board of Secondary Examination, National Eligibility cum Entrance Test for medical entrance and the University Grants Commission.

Justice AK Sikri read out the majority judgment in the case. Justice Sikri started his Aadhaar judgment by saying, "It is better to be unique than the best." He further added that Aadhaar has become the most talked about expression in the recent years.

Justice Sikri said that "the Judgment also deals with Proportionality doctrine, compelling State interest and Strict Scrutiny Test." Talking about the judgment, Justice Sikri said that the concept of Human dignity has been enlarged in it.

Justice Chandrachudsaid that the Aadhaar project, "failed to remedy the flaws in its design and has led to exclusion."

There is no institutional responsibility of UIDAI to protect data of citizens, said Justice Chandrachud.

"Data vulnerable to misuse by any third party, private vendors, that too without the consent of an individual," he added.

The bench also struck down the national security exception under the Aadhaar (Targeted Delivery of Financial and other Subsidies, Benefits and Services) Act.

(With inputs from PTI)