Rollback mandatory Aadhaar requirements: JNUSU to admin

JNU Students Union today reiterated their demand to the administration to roll back the mandatory Aadhaar requirements imposed on students or "declare" itself above the Supreme Court of India.

The student's body raised the demand once again after a constitution bench today declared Right to Privacy as a Fundamental Right under Article 21 of the Constitution.

"JNU administration with the privilege of Competent Authority made Aadhaar mandatory defying SC verdict and though UGC was just suggesting it. Instead of beating around the bush, JNU admin should declare they are above the Supreme Court and UGC or take back mandatory Aadhaar notification," JNUSU President Mohit Kumar Pandey said.

Scores of research scholars of the varsity had faced issues in submitting their dissertations/theses as they did not possess the unique ID at the time of submission or abstained from getting enrolled due to privacy concern.

Following the March 21 UGC notification, JNU in its April 20 circular made it mandatory for students to produce Aadhaar number so as to put it on mark-sheets and degree certificates with photograph to put it on National Academic Depository (NAD).

"I think it's a victory for everyone concerned about privacy. This weakens the government's attempts to make Aadhaar mandatory for everything," said JNU research scholar Shehla Rashid whose dissertation was rejected for not producing Aadhaar number.

"We call upon the govt to respect this verdict and stop arm-twisting citizens into getting Aadhaar cards for the purposes of banking, SIM cards, fellowships, etc," said Rashid.