Kerala High Court Criticizes Railway Board Over Aadhaar Authentication Delay

The Kerala High Court criticized the Railway Board for its delayed response on whether Aadhaar authentication is mandatory for tatkal ticket bookings. Despite months of extension, the Board sought additional time to reply to public interest litigation challenging Aadhaar-based authentication mandated by a central circular.

In a session on Thursday, the Kerala High Court expressed frustration with the Railway Board for not providing a timely response regarding the necessity of Aadhaar authentication for booking tatkal tickets. The concern was raised as part of a public interest litigation challenging a central government directive mandating such authentication. Chief Justice Soumen Sen and Justice Syam Kumar V M criticized the Board for requesting an additional three weeks, despite having already been given several months.

The bench emphasized that the issue is straightforward, questioning the excessive time taken by the Railway Board to respond. They warned that if the Board remains unable to provide a response, the court would proceed to address the matter independently.

The hearing has been adjourned for three weeks, with the court mandating the submission of the Railway Board's response within this period. This delay comes amidst increasing scrutiny over the imposition of Aadhaar-based authentication processes on various public services.

(With inputs from agencies.)