Aadhaar's scope is further expanding. The Times of India reports that Aadhaar will now be made mandatory for obtaining a driver's licence and renewal of existing licences. The publication added that this was being done prevent issuance of multiple licences under one name. It added that multiple licences were being issued to a single person as fake identifications to beat traffic and criminal offences. The Union transport ministry is looking at a bringing all the regional transport offices (RTOs) under a central database called Sarathi which will prevent people from getting multiple licences from different RTOs. The rules are expected to kick off from October this year. Aadhaar is being made compulsory for Income Tax returns and it will also be made mandatory to link mobile numbers to Aadhaar. Last week, the Department of Telecom issued a note saying that all telecom operators will have to ensure that their subscribers link mobile numbers within a year. Lapses in security for other services Driver's licences are also used as proof of address and identity and are used for opening bank accounts and getting mobile phone connections. However, the Aadhaar to be used as both an identity proof as well as an address proof. Banks and telecom companies use biometric eKYC to open accounts and mobile connections. But the reality is that UIDAI does not validate the address of every applicant. Though applicants are asked to provide an address proof for Aadhaar enrolment, it is optional — the enrolment process (and form) is designed to allow anyone…
