Parliament passes Aadhaar and Other laws (Amendment) Bill

Parliament has passed the Aadhaar and Other Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2019 with the Rajya Sabha approving it yesterday. The Lok Sabha had already passed the bill. The bill seeks to amend Aadhaar (Targeted Delivery of Financial and Other Subsidies, Benefits and Services) Act, 2016 and to further amend the Indian Telegraph Act, 1885 and the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002. The bill also proposes giving a child an option to exit from



the biometric ID programme on attaining 18 years of age. Replying to a debate on the bill, Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said the government will soon bring a Data Protection Bill in Parliament. He said, a comprehensive law will be framed in this regard.

Mr Prasad said that amendments to Aadhaar and other laws were necessitated after the Supreme Court's ruling on privacy.