Aadhaar linking deadline extended to March 31

New Delhi: The Centre yesterday informed the Supreme Court that it was willing to extend till March 31 next year the deadline fixed for mandatory linking of Aadhaar for availing various services and schemes. The Supreme Court will be setting up a five-Judge Constitution Bench next week to hear several pleas seeking an interim stay on the Centre’s decision of mandatory linking of Aadhaar. A bench headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra was informed by Attorney General K.K. Venugopal that the Centre was willing to extend the deadline of Dec. 31 to March 31 next year for linking of Aadhaar with various services and schemes. The Attorney General, however, made it clear that Feb. 6 next year would remain the deadline for linking Aadhaar for availing of uninterrupted mobile services as it had been mandated by the apex court.