Aadhaar Card

What is Aadhaar Card?

Aadhaar Card is a unique identification number issued by the Indian government to residents of India. It is a 12-digit number that serves as proof of identity and address. Aadhaar is issued by the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI), a statutory authority established in January 2009 under the provisions of the Aadhaar Act, 2016.

The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) is the main agency that operates under the Government of India and is tasked with issuing Aadhaar Cards to individuals. UIDAI collects the biometric and demographic data of the applicants and stores it in a centralized database. After the data is collected and verified, a unique Aadhaar number is issued and printed on the Aadhaar Card. The Aadhaar card contains the following information:

• Full name of the individual
• Unique 12-digit Aadhaar number
• Address
• Gender
• Date of birth
• Photograph
• Biometric data (fingerprints and iris scan)

Moreover, there is a QR code on the card which can be scanned to access the details of the cardholder easily.

What is Baal Aadhaar?

"Aadhaar for kids" or "Aadhaar for children." This is a blue-colored Aadhaar card and is known as the "Baal Aadhaar".

• Baal Aadhaar does not contain the biometric information of the child.
• When a child attains the age of five, it is mandatory to get Baal Aadhaar updated with biometric information
• For authentication, one of the parent's Aadhaar is mandatory.
• A picture of the child is also required for enrollment in the Aadhaar.
• The Baal Aadhaar card is useful as it serves as a valid proof of identity and address for children. It can be used for availing government schemes and services, such as immunization and education, and can also be used as proof of identity for travel purposes.
• If the child is over five years of age, biometric authentication is mandatory for the new updation of the child’s Aadhaar card. Also, when the child attains the age of 15 years, another biometric updation is required for the Aadhaar Card. Fingerprints of your child, a digital photograph, and an iris scan will be taken during the enrollment process.
• Later on, biometric data and fingerprints have to match. In case it does not match, the child will have to get this data updated. At the age of 15, this biometric process should be updated for the Aadhaar card.

Features of the Aadhaar Card

Here are some of the salient features of the Aadhaar Card –

• The card contains the biometric details of the cardholder, like fingerprints, iris scans, photographs, etc. These details help identify the cardholder
• Applying for an Aadhaar Card is voluntary. However, in some cases, having an Aadhaar Card becomes compulsory
• Aadhaar number is a 12-digit number contained in Aadhaar Card.
• The Aadhaar Card can be linked to all your financial accounts and investments like PAN cards, Ration cards, bank accounts, mutual fund investments, life insurance policies, etc.
• The card serves as proof of identity, address, date of birth, etc.

The details on the card can be changed if there are any changes for the cardholder, for instance, in case of a name change or address change.

Benefits of having an Aadhaar Card

Though having an Aadhaar Card has been voluntary till now, there are various benefits you can avail of if you have an Aadhaar Card. These benefits include the following.

• If you want to claim a subsidy on your LPG, you must provide your Aadhaar number to the LPG agency. The agency then links your Aadhaar number with the LPG consumer number, and the subsidy is directly transferred to your bank account. You can, therefore, save on your LPG connection
• Accounts under Jan Dhan Yojana can be opened easily by submitting only a copy of your Aadhaar Card. No other documents would be required. This account would give you banking facilities, a RuPay debit card, life insurance, accident insurance, a zero balance savings account, etc.
• To get a passport, you would need to submit a copy of your Aadhaar Card
• You can avail yourself of the facility of DigiLocker by providing your Aadhaar Card number at the time of registration. DigiLocker helps you store your important documents online and access them easily
• By linking the Aadhaar Card number to your voter ID, the possibility of bogus voters is eliminated, and elections become fair and transparent
• To avoid fraudulent pension payments, pensioners are required to link their Aadhaar number with their pension account, after which they would be able to receive pensions
• Opening a bank account has become easy through Aadhaar Card as the card acts as all the required KYC documents needed at the time of account opening
• If pensioners want to avail of the facility of Jeevan Praman Pensioners wherein they do not have to be physically present at the pension disbursing agency to renew their life certificates, they would have to provide their Aadhaar details, after which renewal would be done digitally
• Aadhaar acts as proof of address and identity by the SEBI (Securities and Exchange Board of India)
• New mobile connections require Aadhaar Card details.
• Moreover, when the Aadhaar card is linked with a mobile number, instant updates can be received by cardholders Driving licenses might also be linked to the Aadhaar card in the future, making the card a necessity
• PAN card is to be linked to the Aadhaar card so that money laundering activities can be curbed and the prevalence of black money reduces
• Linking Aadhaar with your investments has also become necessary in recent times
• IRCTC users can book up to 12 train tickets in a month if they verify their transactions using their Aadhaar card numbers.
• For business incorporation like GST registration, Food license, Import and Export registration etc.
• Ration cards are also being linked with Aadhaar card numbers so that the beneficiaries receiving the ration card benefits can be easily identified and duplicitous transactions can be curbed

How to for Aadhaar Card?

The process to apply for Aadhaar Card is as follows –

• Locate the nearest Aadhaar enrolment center authorized to accept applications for Aadhaar cards. The list of centers can be found on the UIDAI website (You can also find the enrolment center of popular cities here – Chennai, Kolkata, Lucknow, Mumbai, Gurgaon, Bangalore, Ahmedabad, Hyderabad, Chandigarh, Jaipur, and Delhi)
• After finding the center, book an online appointment. To book an appointment online, you can use this link Aadhaar Card Apply Online
• When visiting the center, you should carry all the relevant documents required for enrolling for Aadhaar Card. These documents include the following –
  • Identity proof
  • Proof of address
  • Date of birth proof
  (Find out the relevant documents here)
• An enrolment form is available at the enrolment center, which you should fill out and submit. You can also download the form online at Download Enrolment Form, fill it out, and submit it at the center.
• When submitting the enrolment form, you would have to submit the relevant documents and your biometric data like your fingerprints, eye scan, and photograph.
• After submitting the enrolment form, you will receive an acknowledgment receipt containing a 14-digit unique identification number. This number acts as a reference to your Aadhaar Card application and can be used to track the status of your application.
• Once the UIDAI verifies your details, you will be allotted an Aadhaar number. The Aadhaar Card will be sent to the address you mentioned when filling up the enrolment form.

Who can apply for Aadhaar Card?

Aadhaar cards can be availed by Indian citizens, non-resident Indians, foreigners who live in India, and minor children. However, if the applicant is a child below the age of 5, the Aadhaar Card number of one of the child's parents would have to be provided when applying for the Aadhaar Card. The parent’s Aadhaar Card details would be recorded in the enrolment form, and the child would not have to submit any biometric data. Only a photograph of the child is taken to be attached to the Aadhaar Card. The birth certificate of the child would be the only accepted age proof.

Moreover, after the child turns 15, the Aadhaar Card will be updated with the child’s latest photograph and biometric details.

Checking Aadhaar Card status online

After you apply for Aadhaar Card, it takes some time for the UIDAI to allot the Aadhaar number.

Moreover, additional time is taken for the actual Aadhaar Card to reach your home.

Meanwhile, you can check the status of your Aadhaar Card application online. The process of checking the status is as follows –

• Visit the UIDAI website at https://uidai.gov.in/
• On the home page, select the option ‘My Aadhaar’
• Under this option, select ‘Check Aadhaar Status’
• A new window opens wherein you have to provide your enrolment ID (EID), which is the 14-digit acknowledgment number mentioned in the acknowledgment slip. Besides the EID, you would also have to enter the date and time of enrolment, which is also mentioned in the acknowledgment slip. A security code would also be mentioned on the site, which you should enter in the box.
• When all the details are entered, select ‘Check Status,’ Your Aadhaar application status will be displayed

e-Aadhaar, m-Aadhaar, and virtual ID

• e-Aadhaar – e-Aadhaar is a soft copy of your Aadhaar card. The soft copy can be downloaded from the UIDAI website using a specified form. A pdf file would be downloaded, which is password protected. The password for accessing your e- Aadhaar would be the first four letters of your name in capital letters followed by your year of birth in YYYY format.
• M-Aadhaar – m-Aadhaar is a mobile application developed by UIDAI to access Aadhaar-related services through your mobile phone.
• Virtual ID (VID) – virtual ID is a 16-digit unique code that can be availed by each Aadhaar card holder for Aadhaar authentication. The code is generated at the UIDAI website and is valid for 24 hours. VID can be used to furnish Aadhaar-related authentications to different agencies in place of your actual Aadhaar number. This protects your Aadhaar number and also fulfills the requirement of Aadhaar authentication.
  The VID can also be used to download an e-Aadhaar.

How to update Aadhaar card details?

There might be times when Aadhaar card details need to be changed. For instance, any change in the address recorded in the card, phone number, name, etc., might happen, and when these changes happen, the Aadhaar card should be updated with the changed detail. A change in the details of the Aadhaar card can be done online or offline. Online changes can be done by visiting the UIDAI website. Here are the processes for each –

• Online update
  For online updating of details, a Self-Service portal is designed called the SSUP portal. On the portal, you have to select the fields which need updating. Fill in the updated details in the selected fields and submit the form. When the form is submitted, a URN is generated. You would also have to submit relevant documents online which support the changed details. You can use the URN number to view the status of your update.
• Offline update
  Updating certain details like your mobile number, biometric data, etc., can be done offline only through the permanent enrolment centers of Aadhaar. You would have to locate and visit the enrolment center, fill out the correct information in the correction form available at the center, attach self-attested copies of documents that are proof of the change being recorded, and submit the form. UIDAI would verify the form, and the updated Aadhaar card would be sent to replace the old one. Instead of visiting the enrolment center, you can download the Aadhaar correction form, fill it out, attach the documents and post everything to UIDAI’s offices in Madhya Pradesh or Haryana.
  (For more information about updating Aadhaar details, click here)

How many times the Aadhaar can be updated?

• Name: The name of the user on the Aadhaar card can be changed twice.
• Date of birth: The date of birth can never be changed. It is only possible in case of an error during the data entry process.
• Address and gender changes: Both the address and gender fields can only be changed once.

Changes to Aadhaar's name, gender, or date of birth beyond a certain limit are possible by visiting a UIDAI regional office.

Aadhaar card linking

Linking Aadhaar cards has become necessary in many instances, like in the case of a bank account, PAN card, insurance policies, investments, etc. Aadhaar card linking is an easy process that can be done online using your Aadhaar card number and registered mobile number. You must enter your Aadhaar card number, and an OTP will be sent to your registered mobile number. Once you enter the OTP, the linking process will be completed.

Here are the different processes of linking Aadhaar to various avenues –

• Linking Aadhaar with bank account
  There are various ways to link your Aadhaar card with your bank account. You can link through the net banking facility available with your bank account, by visiting the bank branches, through the bank’s ATM, by sending an SMS, through a phone banking facility, or by using your bank's mobile application.
  (To know more, click here)
  (To know the linking process of different banks, click on the relevant bank names – SBI, ICICI, HDFC, Bank of Baroda, Punjab National Bank, Axis Bank)
• Linking Aadhaar with PAN Card
  Aadhaar with PAN card can be linked using any of the three ways. The first is through the income tax department website without logging into your account. The second way is through the income tax department's website, but here you link by logging into your account. The third way is to send an SMS to UIDAI to link your Aadhaar and PAN.
  (To know more, click here)
• Linking Aadhaar with Ration Card
  To link your Aadhaar card with your ration card, visit a PDS center or a ration office and link offline. You can also link online by visiting the Aadhaar seeding application portal and furnishing your Aadhaar and ration card numbers. Lastly, linking can also be done by sending an SMS to UIDAI.
  (To know more, click here)

Retrieve Lost or Forgotten EID/UID

It often happens that we forget or lose our EID or UID. But there is nothing to worry you can still retrieve a lost EID or UID by following some simple steps:

• Visit the site https://resident.uidai.gov.in/
• Select “My Aadhaar”, and select “retrieve lost or forgotten” from the drop-down
• Enter require details
• You will get all the details.

Aadhaar Reprint

You can order a reprinting of your Aadhaar card if you have lost your Aadhaar. Just visit https://resident.uidai.gov.in/ then, click “My Aadhaar,” choose” Order Aadhaar Reprint” from the dropdown, then fill in the required details, and it's done.

Virtual ID

Virtual ID is a temporary 16-digit no. aligned with your Aadhaar Card. It can be used in lieu of aadhaar whenever e-KYC is required. You can get your Virtual ID by surfing on https://resident.uidai.gov.in/ >My Aadhaar> Aadhaar services>Generate VID> it's done.

e-KYC

e-KYC is a shareable document for verification, and any Aadhaar card holder can use it. To generate e-KYC, all you have to do is generate digitally signed UIDAI details of the user. This should contain mobile no., name, address, DOB, etc.