Sharma added later that the system would not be mandatory, but new guidelines indicate that Aadhaar is already the "preferred" mode of identity verification and for vaccination certificates. India reported a record 200,739 COVID-19 cases over the last 24 hours, health ministry data showed on Thursday, taking its total case load to 14.1 million, just behind the United States on the global tally. As cases soar, several states have warned of vaccine shortfalls, and the Indian government has fast-tracked emergency approvals for vaccines. But a requirement to register for appointments on a mobile app using Aadhaar is excluding millions of people who do not have an Aadhaar ID, said Anushka Jain, an associate counsel at the Internet Freedom Foundation in Delhi.