Justice K. S. Puttaswamy (Retd.) vs. Union of India

The case of Justice K. S. Puttaswamy (Retd.) vs. Union of India was a landmark legal challenge that questioned whether the Indian government could require individuals to provide biometric data (like fingerprints and iris scans) for a national identity system (the Aadhaar program). The Supreme Court ruled in 2018 that the right to privacy is a fundamental constitutional right. It upheld the validity of the Aadhaar scheme but imposed certain restrictions to protect individuals’ privacy and prevent misuse, ensuring that biometric data collection is necessary, proportionate, and used within strict legal limits.