JUDGMENT :

A.K. Sikri, J.

In these three writ petitions filed by the petitioners, who claim themselves to be pubic spirited persons, challenge is laid to the constitutional validity of Section 139AA of the Income Tax Act, 1961 (hereinafter referred to as the ‘Act’), which provision has been inserted by the amendment to the said Act vide Finance Act, 2017. Section 139AA of the Act reads as under:-

“Quoting of Aadhaar number. –

(1) Every person who is eligible to obtain Aadhaar number shall, on or after the 1st day of July, 2017, quote Aadhaar number–

(i) in the application form for allotment of permanent account number;

(ii) in the return of income:

Provided that where the person does not possess the Aadhaar Number, the Enrolment ID of Aadhaar application form issued to him at the time of enrolment shall be quoted in the application for permanent account number or, as the case may be, in the return of income furnished by him.

(2) Every person who has been allotted permanent account number as on the 1st day of July, 2017, and who is eligible to obtain Aadhaar number, shall intimate his Aadhaar number to such authority in such form and manner as may be prescribed, on or before a date to be n