Even though the Supreme Court gave the Centre four weeks to explain why it is necessary to link one's mobile phone number to their Aadhaar or the unique 12-digit identification number, it looks like the Centre has no plans to back down. However, if you have been complaining about what a hassle it is going to be, here's some good news.
Come January 1, 2018, and mobile users will be able to link their Aadhaar details to their numbers through alternatives such as a one-time password (OTP). The subscribers then have until February 6 to complete the process, failing which their numbers will be deactivated.
To link their Aadhaar details with their mobile phone numbers, subscribers will have to call the Interactive Voice Response System (IVRS) from their mobile number, and give permission for the two to be linked. After that, they will be sent an OTP, which once typed in will complete the procedure, reported the Times of India. The customer will then be notified when their number has been linked to their Aadhaar that is likely to take a few days.
However, consumers will be able to avail the benefits of this system only if their mobile number is already in the Aadhaar database. "And this will help people verify their mobile number with Aadhaar without going to a telecom outlet, provided their mobile number is already added to Aadhaar database," UIDAI CEO Ajay Bhushan Pandey had earlier told the Economic Times.
Even though the procedure has now been put in place and announced, it came with its own set of issues. UIDAI and the telecom companies and their lobby group Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI) took quite some time to iron out the problems and COAI has accused UIDAI of not coordinating with them and making an announcement about the procedure without consultation.
"This was done even though the telecom department, UIDAI and the (telecom) industry were still under discussions on the OTP-based process... the telecom companies have in the past represented to UIDAI that in order to implement the OTP-based process, the present Customer Acquisition Form (CAF) would be required to be modified," TOI quoted COAI as saying.
But the UIDAI retorted that they were very clear on the matter and it was, in fact, the network carriers who had been "dilly-dallying."
The Centre has made it mandatory for all subscribers to link their numbers with Aadhaar by February 6 and has also refused to extend the deadline. "The deadline for linkage of Aadhaar with mobile phone number cannot be modified by the government unilaterally (as it is fixed by the SC)," it said.
