The central government has brought big changes in the Aadhaar enrolment and updating process.
This means that now the Aadhaar document verification will become stricter compared to the previous process. Simultaneously, rules have been devised separately for various classes of individuals.
Therefore, it is important to discuss these changes made in the rules related to Aadhaar in simple terms. Firstly, lets know about the Aadhaar enrollment process for kids.
Under the new rules, Aadhaar for children below the age of five will now be issued only through the Head of Family, or HoF-based system.
This means parents or legal guardians must have a valid Aadhaar number.
The child’s address will also be considered the same as the address mentioned in the Head of Family’s Aadhaar.
Not only this, biometric authentication of one parent or guardian has also been made compulsory during enrolment.
A birth certificate will now serve as the primary document for proof of date of birth and relationship.
In the case of Adults, the list of acceptable documents for people above 18 years of age has been expanded.
Documents such as passport, voter ID, ration card, driving licence, pension card, bank documents, electricity bill, water bill, gas connection bill, insurance papers, and property documents will now be accepted for Aadhaar enrolment and updates.
However, there is one important condition.
UIDAI has clarified that all documents must be valid and officially verifiable.
If any document contains mismatched or fake information, it may be rejected.
The government has also introduced an important relief for transgender persons.
Identity Cards and Certificates issued under the Transgender Persons Act 2019 are recognized as valid Proof Documents for Aadhaar.
The identity cards and certificates may be utilized to update details such as Identity, Address, Date of Birth, Name, and Gender. Provisions have also been made for individuals with disabilities, people residing in shelters homes, and those living in child care institutions.
Certificates issued by the District Social Welfare Officer and the Child Protection Officer will also be considered as valid documents.
In addition to these, special provisions are also there for Foreign Nationals and OCI cardholders. Under the new rules, OCI cardholders as well as citizens of Nepal and Bhutan will get their Aadhaar for a period of 10 years.
In case of Long Term Visas, validity of Aadhaar will be based on their validity period.
For other foreign nationals, validity of their Aadhaar would be dependent on their visa period/FRRO Registration Certificate period.
There have been provisions also for people living in the rural areas.
Certificates issued by the MP, MLA, Municipal Councillors, Gazetted Officers, Tehsildar and even Gram Panchayat Head can now be taken as valid address proof in certain cases. It is claimed that these measures would make the documentation more easy and verifiable removing the mandate of address proofs.
According to the government notification these changes have been implemented to ensure the security, transparency, and credibility of the Aadhaar scheme. The government hopes that by enforcing strict verification procedures, any abuse or misrepresentation of false credentials can be avoided.
At present, the updated enrollment and revision regulations for Aadhaar have been put into practice immediately.
