India’s Supreme Court has ruled that citizens have a fundamental right to privacy. The judges ruled the right to privacy was “an intrinsic part of [Indian Constitution] Article 21 that protects life and liberty.” The ruling has implications for the government’s vast biometric ID scheme, covering access to benefits, bank accounts, and payment of taxes. Rights groups are concerned personal data could be misused. The authorities want registration to be compulsory.

Will this impact other countries efforts to deal with security and privacy issues?

The verdict overturns two previous rulings by the top Indian court which said that privacy was not a fundamental right.

The nine-judge bench, comprising all the sitting judges in the Supreme Court, was necessary because one of the earlier rulings, made in 1954, was delivered by an eight-judge bench.

Analysis by Geeta Pandey, BBC News, Delhi:

The Supreme Court verdict is a huge setback for the government which has insisted that privacy is not an inalienable fundamental right guaranteed under the constitution.

When the Aadhaar (government) database was launched, the authorities said it would be a voluntary scheme which would help them weed out corruption while passing on welfare benefits to the most needy citizens.

But in the past couple of years, it has been made mandatory for filing tax returns, opening bank accounts, securing loans, buying and selling property, or even making purchases of 50,000 rupees ($780;