00:00When I went to take a SIM card for my daughter who is a minor and I was denied because I couldn't
00:10blink my eye during that time. In 2021, as a attack survivor,
00:15Pragya Prasun was unable to get a SIM card due to her inability to blink,
00:19a required step in the digital KYC verification process.
00:23In 2023, she said she encountered a similar issue while trying to open a bank account.
00:39Along with the other asset attack survivors and Amar Jain, a visually impaired petitioner,
00:43Pragya moved to the Supreme Court. The petitions raised concerns about accessibility challenges in
00:48digital KYC processes, especially for persons with disabilities and facial disfigurements.
00:54When people grow old, their hand prints doesn't match. Their signature doesn't match.
01:00They, some of them, they are not able to even, you know, a retina match also is a problem for
01:08a couple of old age people. On 30th April 2025, the Supreme Court delivered its judgment.
01:14A bench of justices J.B. Pardiwala and R. Madhwan held that meaningful access to digital
01:19systems is part of the fundamental right to life and liberty under Article 21.
01:24The court stated that the state has a duty to ensure digital systems are inclusive,
01:28particularly for marginalized and disabled individuals.
01:31It issued 20 directions to improve the accessibility of EKYC and other digital services.
01:37This included a direction to the RBI to guide regulated entities on using alternative methods for
01:42verifying liveness beyond actions like blinking in order to make digital KYC more accessible.
01:48Digital KYC is a paperless identity verification method that uses live photographs,
01:52biometrics or Aadhaar-based authentication. Current systems often rely on facial gestures
01:57or eye movements as part of the verification. Amidst the wave of digital progress in India,
02:02through Aadhaar, online service delivery platforms and net banking, a crucial aspect often overlooked is
02:07whether this technology is truly inclusive and accessible to all the court set.
02:12So I want people to go and open a bank account and see if they are still facing any challenge.
02:20I want people to go and take a SIM card in their name and see if they are still facing challenge.
02:26And now they will have this judgment copy too, as a proof to say that, see, the Supreme Court has given this,
02:35you know, judgment and now you all need to follow this.
Comments