Onkar Singh / New Delhi

AADHARThe Supreme Court today said it would hear a batch of petitions challenging mandatory linking of Aadhaar for granting various services to citizen after its constitution bench concludes hearing the Delhi-Centre dispute.

The bench, comprising Chief Justice Dipak Misra, Justices A M Khanwilkar and D Y Chandrachud, said only the Constitution bench will pass an interim order in the matter. The petitioners challenging the Aadhaar scheme have been pressing for an interim stay order on the government’s decision to make Aadhaar mandatory for welfare schemes.

Meanwhile, the Centre informed the bench that it was willing to extend up to March 31 next year the deadline fixed for mandatory linking of Aadhaar with various schemes. Presently, the last date to link Aadhaar with bank accounts is December 31 this year while for mobile numbers, it is February 6, 2018.