By Namita Singh and Trisha Jalan

The Aadhaar Amendment Bill is being moved in the Lok Sabha currently. Here are some of the main points raised:

Live Updates: ceased

5:58 pm: The Aadhaar Amendment Bill has been passed in the Lok Sabha through voice vote.

Note that the Bill needs to be passed in Rajya Sabha to become in Act, the Rajya Sabha will be in session on January 7 and 8, which is the last day of the Winter Session of the Parliament.

Read a lowdown of the what the amendments and their implications are: What does the Aadhaar and Other Laws (Amendment Bill), 2018 do?

Friday evening 5pm. Lok Sabha takes up #Aadhaar Amendment Bill for discussion and passing. Convention says House never takes up Bills on Friday afternoon as it is Private Members Bill Day. LS almost empty. This Govt making a mockery of all institutions including #Parliament — Derek O’Brien | ডেরেক ও’ব্রায়েন (@derekobrienmp) January 4, 2019

The #Aadhaar amendment bill has been passed by #LokSabha with almost empty house and no opposition. #SansadWatch pic.twitter.com/WiSrA6yy5Z — Srinivas Kodali (@digitaldutta) January 4, 2019

And the #Aadhaar Amendment Bill is passed

Without any proper legislative scrutiny, Bill was not sent to any Committee

Those MPs who had opposed its introduction were also not in House

And just like that, within an hour, with very little debate, Bill was passed — Maadhyam (@_maadhyam_) January 4, 2019

5:55 pm: The Minister for Electronics and IT, RS Prasad, speaks on the amendments: “One thing I would like to add is, that the bill is passed by the Cabinet which is accountable to the Parliament. So just saying that the officer holders have merely made the amendment. But we are accountable. Secondly, we were opposing Aadhaar when we were not in power because it was not backed by Aadhaar Act. PM Modi strengthened it with Aadhaar Act. Was it not correct that MNREGA wages were routed to wrong accounts? We have issued a circular that nobody should be denied benefits for the want of Aadhaar. We have also said that nobody will be denied medical services for the want of Aadhaar. Aadhaar has removed middleman and helped in linking people to Government. If an 18 year old can vote to bring a government to power, can he not know what is Aadhaar?

UIDAI is not supporting any start-up company or Aadhaar related private body. I would like to say, that though people are criticised a lot, they are praised for good work too. In this system, officials have enrolled 123 crore people and they should be praised. Technology is being used to transform India. Modiji has give technology in the hands of a common man. Many people complain that they don’t want to show their Aadhaar number. So, we gave them a provision of 12 digit number which masks there Aadhaar number.”

“What does my Aadhaar number have? It has my name, my Patna address, and my father’s name. We are so open minded that we are following everything Court said. The SC held Section 57 unconstitutional, we did the same.”

@SatpathyLive says that he ‘spiritually and morally’ opposes #Aadhaar

Minister had earlier mentioned that he knows that Satpathy doesn’t have #Aadhaar

Now, Bill is being voted on

Most MPs not in House — Maadhyam (@_maadhyam_) January 4, 2019





5:40 pm: BJP MP Sharad Tripathi claimed that a lot of people are availing government services from different places. According to him, before Digital India, there was no way of verifying digitally, if a person was availing multiple benefits, for instance those availing LPG benefits.

@SatpathyLive speaks on Bill

Argues that pvt businesses have been launched by those who set up #Aadhaar which is funding startups which are designing services around #Aadhaar

‘More #Aadhaar spreads, more business options they have’ — Maadhyam (@_maadhyam_) January 4, 2019

5:35 pm: MP Tathagata Satpathy argues against the proposed amendments.