Aadhaar: SC hears right to privacy case but there's much more at stake

The ruling will decide the manner in which constitutional democracy will endure

The Supreme Court will hear arguments on Wednesday to determine whether individual privacy is a fundamental right protected by the Constitution, in a ruling legal scholar say will have far-reaching consequences.

The court has set up a rare nine-member bench to rule on the matter triggered by a petition challenging the mandatory use of national identity cards, which are known as Aadhaar, as an infringement of privacy.

Constitutional experts say if the court decides privacy is a fundamental right, it could open up to review a law criminalising homosexuality, a ban on the consumption of beef in many states and an alcohol