Union Deputy Minister for planning Rajiv Shukla told on Thursday in Rajyasabha that Aadhar card is not compulsory to open a Bank account, for admissions in the schools and to get a Passport.  

If anyone wants to buy gas at market rate, they can do it without Aadhar card.  Aadhar is required only to get subsidies and other benefits extended to the needy through Governemt schemes.  

Shukla said that the subsidy at present is transferred to the beneficiary’s account in only 20 States which will be extended to other States in due course.

Aadhar card will be handy to prove identity of a person and to get benefits given by the Government to the eligible but cannot be made compulsory to every citizen.

 (AW-SriJa)