Is Aadhaar mandatory for prisoners to get Covid-19 vaccine, asks Bombay HC

The Bombay High Court has asked the Centre and the Maharashtra government to clarify if an Aadhaar card was mandatory for prisoners to get Covid-19 vaccine.

The Bombay High Court on Thursday asked the Centre and the Maharashtra government to clarify if an Aadhaar card was mandatory for prisoners to get the vaccine against Covid-19. The court observed that an Aadhaar card is important for identifying the person being administered the Covid-19 vaccination and for the purpose of maintaining a nationwide database. However, the court noted that the Central and state governments should find a solution for vaccinating citizens across the country, especially prisoners, who may not have an Aadhaar card. A bench of Chief Justice Dipankar Datta and Justice G S Kulkarni was hearing a public interest litigation (PIL) taken up suo motu on containing the spread of Covid-19 in prisons across Maharashtra.