What is the significance of India’s Aadhaar Act of 2016?

Aadhaar is a unique 12-digit registration number issued by the Indian government to every individual resident of India. Under the Aadhaar Act, passed in 2016, all essential government services and benefits will be linked to the Aadhaar number. Any Indian citizen wanting to open a bank account, secure a digital life certificate for automatic pension transfer, or access LPG subsidy and direct provident fund disbursal, will need to present their Aadhaar registration number.