Aadhaar is not mandatory to avail benefits for the first time under the recently-launched Ayushman Bharat- Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY) but will be compulsory for those seeking treatment under the scheme for the second time, according to a top official.

In case the Aadhaar number is not available, beneficiaries have to at least provide documents to prove that they have enrolled for the 12-digit unique identity number, said Indu Bhushan, CEO of the National Health Agency, responsible for implementing the PMJAY. The move comes in the wake of a Supreme Court order declaring the Aadhaar scheme as constitutionally valid.