Aadhaar Not Mandatory For Covid-19 Vaccination: Centre To SC

Around 87 lakh people without ID cards have been vaccinated

On Monday the central Government told the Supreme Court that submission of the Aadhaar Card is Not Mandatory for getting Covid-19 jabs.

A bench of Justices DY Chandrachud and Surya Kant was informed by the ministry of health and family welfare that one of the nine identity documents including passport, driving license, PAN card, voter's card, ration card can be produced for vaccination.

According to the statement, the bench said, according to this court's order dated October 1, 2021, the ministry of health and family welfare has filed an affidavit that records that Aadhaar card is not mandatory for registration on the CoWIN portal and one of the nine identity documents can be produced.

It is also recorded in the affidavit that a provision has been made for other categories of persons who may not have identity cards in their possession like prison inmates, inmates at mental health institutions, etc."

Counsel for Union submits that about 87 lakh people without ID cards have been vaccinated. The objection of the petitioner that he was denied vaccination for non-production of the Aadhaar card has also been dealt with in the affidavit.

The health ministry addressed a letter to the principal secretary, of health in Maharashtra to take litigation against the concerned private vaccination center which denied vaccination to the petitioner despite the production of a valid passport ID. The grievance of the petitioner is duly met. All concerned authorities act in accordance with the policy of the government."

The plea had instructed that authorities shouldn't insist on the production of the Aadhaar Card as the only evidence of identification to allocate Covid Shots.