Dead person's Aadhaar used for learning licence, HC seeks reply

Lucknow: The Lucknow bench of the Allahabad high court has sought responses from the Centre and Uttar Pradesh govt after it was informed that a learning licence was allegedly issued in the name of a deceased person using his Aadhaar details. The court was hearing a PIL challenging the online mechanism for issuing learning and driving licences based on Aadhaar details. The petitioner also cited an instance where a learning licence was allegedly issued despite an obscene photograph being uploaded online along with Aadhaar details. A bench of Justice Rajan Roy and Justice Syed Qamar Hasan Rizvi passed the order on a PIL filed by Santosh Mishra , which primarily challenges Rule 11 of the Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989, and notifications relating to Aadhaar authentication. The court also directed that notice be issued to the Attorney General for India in view of the challenge to Rule 11. The matter has been listed after six weeks. The petitioner contended that under the existing system, applicants provide their Aadhaar number, after which details from the Aadhaar database are accessed by the licensing authority to process the licence. He argued that Aadhaar is not valid proof of age and issuing a learning licence solely on its basis could violate the Motor Vehicles Act . He also submitted that the system could potentially allow licences to be issued to those below the prescribed age of 16 or 18 years. Documents were placed before the court to support the claim that a learning licence had been issued in the name of a deceased person using his Aadhaar number. Another instance involved an obscene photograph allegedly uploaded with Aadhaar details, yet a licence was issued. The petitioner termed the incidents a serious security concern with potential national security implications. The Centre and state govt opposed the allegations, submitting that merely providing an Aadhaar number does not automatically result in issuance of a learning licence and that other prescribed formalities must be completed. The bench asked how a licence could have been issued in the name of a deceased person if the allegation was factually correct. The government counsel, however, could not give a clear answer. You Can Also Check: Gold Rate in Lucknow | Silver Rate in Lucknow | Bank Holidays in Lucknow | Public Holidays in Lucknow | Lucknow AQI | Weather in Lucknow | Petrol Price in Lucknow | Diesel Price in Lucknow | CNG Price in Lucknow | LPG Price in Lucknow Stay updated with the latest Lucknow news. Download the TOI App.