The Supreme Court has said that now that the deadline has been extended, it will hear a batch of Aadhaar-related petitions in November.The deadline to furnish Aadhaar cards in order to keep availing of welfare benefits was earlier set at September 30. Credit: PTINew Delhi: The Supreme Court today said it would hear a batch of petitions on Aadhaar-related matters in November after the Centre said that it will extend the deadline to furnish Aadhar to avail benefits of social welfare schemes till December 31.A bench headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra said there was no urgency to hear the matter after Attorney General K.K. Venugopal told the bench that the Centre will extend the September 30 deadline.Senior advocate Shyam Divan, representing various petitioners, mentioned the matter before the bench, also comprising Justices Amitava Roy and A.M. Khanwilkar and sought early hearing on the batch of petitions which have also challenged the Centre’s move to make Aadhaar mandatory for availing benefits of various social welfare schemes.When Divan referred to the September 30 deadline, Venugopal said, “We (the Centre) will extend it to December 31”.“The urgency is not there. It will be listed in the first week of November,” the bench said.A three-judge bench had on July 7 said that all issues arising out of Aadhaar should finally be decided by a larger bench.Later, on July 12, the apex court said that its five-judge constitution bench will hear matters relating to Aadhaar, including the aspect of right to privacy. The five-judge bench had on July 18 constituted a nine-judge bench to decide on the right to privacy.A nine-judge constitution bench of the apex court had on August 24 declared the right to privacy as a fundamental right, saying it is protected as an intrinsic part of the right to life and personal liberty under Article 21 and as a part of the freedoms guaranteed by part three of the constitution.The apex court was hearing three separate petitions challenging government’s notifications making Aadhaar mandatory for availing benefits of various social welfare schemes.
