Further extending the mandatory Aadhaar requirement, the government has made the unique ID compulsory for holders of all post office saving schemes like the Postal Savings Bank, National Savings Certificate, Kisan Vikas Patra and Public Provident Fund.

Official Gazette notifications have been issued by the Department of Economic Affairs, requiring providing of Aadhaar details by existing account holders to the post offices by December 31.

Those not having Aadhaar number should submit proof of enrolment application for Aadhaar. With these notifications, virtually all the financial sector services like bank accounts and insurance policies have been covered under the requirement of providing Aadhaar details.

Already various schemes of different ministries like LPG for poor and subsidy schemes have been covered by the Aadhaar requirement.

Last month, it extended the deadline for obtaining Aadhaar for availing government schemes and subsidies by three months to December 31. Earlier, those who did not have Aadhaar were asked to procure it by September 30, according to PTI.

According to PTI, as many as 135 schemes (of 35 ministries) including the free cooking gas (LPG) to poor women, kerosene and fertiliser subsidy, targeted public distribution system (PDS) and MGNREGA will be covered by the extension.

This comes after the income tax department extended its deadline by 4 months to December 31 to link Aadhaar to PAN. The department had earlier said that tax returns filed without linking of Aadhaar and PAN would not be taken up for processing unless the two were linked by August 31, 2017. 

The Supreme Court is in the process of hearing petitions challenging Aadhar and has posted the matter for next hearing in November, according to the Economic Times. 

(With IANS input)