The Supreme Court, on Sunday, January 19, dismissed a writ petition which had challenged the government’s decision of making the National Identity Card mandatory for various services.  

A bench comprising Chief Justice Prakash Man Singh Raut and Justices Abdulajeej Musalman and Nripadhwaj Niraula dismissed the petition, according to the court’s website . Although the bench issued additional directives, details of these orders are yet to be made public.  

The Ministry of Home Affairs had earlier announced that the National ID Card would be mandatory for individuals with disabilities, the elderly, and single women receiving social security allowances starting mid-July 2024. The announcement, made on June 13, 2024, was based on a Cabinet decision from June 6. Initially, the government aimed to enforce the requirement in 28 districts during the distribution of social security allowances in the new fiscal year.  

However, the decision faced widespread criticism, with opponents arguing that the government lacked sufficient preparation for the rollout. Following public backlash, the government temporarily postponed the implementation in July.  

The writ petition, filed by Advocate Ram Bahadur Raut, argued that enforcing the National Identity Card system simultaneously across the country would impose undue burdens on service recipients. In response, the Supreme Court issued an interim order in August suspending the implementation.  

In November, the government filed a counter-petition seeking to overturn the interim order. With the dismissal of the writ petition, the government is now cleared to move forward with the implementation of the National Identity Card system.