Things you should know about Aadhaar

Aadhaar Card acts as an Identification System which has been adopted by India. It is also known as Unique Identification Number (UID). This system of identification is common not only in India but also in other nations. In America it is known as Social Security Number. It is a nine digit number which is provided to both permanent and temporary individuals who work there. After years, India also adopted this concept.

The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI)

In 2009, a task was given to the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) to issue Aadhaar Cards. This organisation was under the Central Government of India. Its main motive was to collect the biometric as well as demographic details of every resident.

During this period the personal information of Indian residents had been collected which later stored in Centralized Database System also known as the UID Database. This database center is situated at the Industrial Model Township (IMT) in Haryana. The UIDAI then simultaneously issued the 12 digit unique identification number or the UID to the Indian resident, also known as Aadhaar card in India.

  • AADHAAR CARD FOR INDIAN RESIDENTS: Every citizen who live in India can apply for Aadhaar card and get the number. It has become mandatory for taxpayers to link their PAN with Aadhaar while filing their income tax returns according to the Government of India.
  • AADHAAR CARD FOR MINOR: It is a misconception of people that Aadhaar cannot be opened for minors. However, unlike identification card a minor can apply for it. They have to furnish or submit the birth certificate along with the proof of identity and address of parents. Besides this newly born babies can also be enrolled for Aadhaar. Although, they have to update their biometric data as soon as they turn 5 and 15 years old. Aadhaar card for children below 5 years is blue in colour.
  • ADHAAR FOR FOREIGNERS:  If you think thatAadhaar is a proof of citizenship for India then you might not be correct. As it just contains various details necessary to identify a person. Thus, people, who are residing in India even though they have the citizenship of another country, can apply for Aadhar card and get the document to avail various facilities. However, they have to reside in India for more than 182 days in the past 12 months to avail this facility. Thus, it is quite clear now that anyone who lives in India can apply for Aadhaar.

Who Can Apply for Aadhar Card?

Aadhaar Card Enrolment

  • Anyone can download Aadhaar online from UIDAI member portal. You can even check your Aadhaar Card status if it has generated or not after the registration.
  • Technology has made things easier. Hence, it isn’t hard to find an Enrolment Center near to your place. In case if you want to update the information you can visit the enrolment center.
  • If you have misplaced your Aadhaar Card you can still retrieve Lost UID online. In case you have changed your home then it is possible to make address change in your Aadhaar Card. In addition to this, it is free of cost.
  • You can lock and unlock Aadhaar biometrics online. Along with this, Aadhaar-bank account linking status can be checked by an employee online. You can track all authentication requests in the past 6 months by checking Aadhaar authentication history.
  • To protect your aadhaar and provide an added layer of security, you can generate or retrieve your Aadhaar Virtual ID against Aadhaar number.

Important Aadhaar Card Details

You are familiar with Aadhaar’s Database, most of the Aadhaar details are mentioned on the card while the rest is stored in the database and can be accessed through proper channels. So the details which are mentioned on your card is given below:

  • Name
  • Date of Birth
  • Aadhaar Number
  • Gender
  • Photograph
  • Residential Address
  • QR code representing the Aadhaar number

While the details which are stored in the database are your Fingerprints and Iris Scan

How can you get Aadhaar Card?

If you are new to Aadhaar Card or haven’t applied for it yet then you ought to understand how can you get Aadhaar Card? You need to follow a systematic protocol which is a step by step procedure. Firstly at the time of Aadhaar Card enrolment an individual has to provide correct information during data verification. Now for a deeper level of understanding take a look on the application process of Aadhaar Card:

  • AADHAAR ENROLMENT CENTER: One who wishes to get Aadhaar Card has to visit the Aadhaar Enrolment Center which is authorized by UDAI. One can also locate the center online using UDAI Portal. After then you can carry your Identity Proof and Address Proof while paying visit to the authorized center.
  • AADHAAR ENROLMENT FORM: Your next step is to fill the Aadhaar Enrolment Form which is available in the authorized center. The form is free of cost and you need to fill the entire form carefully. To save your time you can fill it online with the help of Internet and don’t forget to print it. After filling it submit it to your nearby Enrolment Center.
  • PHOTOGRAPH AND BIOMETRIC DATA COLLECTION:  the real registration procedure starts after submitting the form. In this step your photograph, fingerprints scan and Iris scan are taken. You ought to double check every single detail again so then you can correct the mistakes there only.
  • ACKNOWLEDGEMENT SLIP: after this you will get an acknowledgement slip which works as your temporary Aadhaar Card until you receive the original. This acknowledgement slip contains the enrolment number and can be used to check Aadhaar status online as well as through IVR.
  • ISSUE OF AADHAAR CARD: You will find the procedure quite tiring but the Central Government Agengy, UIDAI double checks all the provided information again so that nothing go wrong. After the proper verification you will get your Aadhaar Card.

Eligibility Criteria

Aadhaar was brought into effect in order to assist the citizens of India to have a document that can be used for various purposes. Hence, it is more than just an identification number because it has been asked in many places such as colleges, offices and even schools. However, it is also not the case that only Indians can apply for Aadhaar card. The eligibility criteria for Aadhaar card is not as complex as it may seem to many. A person can apply for Aadhaar if:

  • He or she is an Indian Citizen residing in India.
  • He or she is a non-resident Indian residing in India.
  • He or she is a foreigner residing in India.
  • Even new-born can also register for Aadhaar.

Essential Documents Required for Aadhaar Card

Applicants need not to bother regarding the documents as the list contains few:

  • Passport of the applicant.
  • PAN card.
  • Ration card or PDS Photo Card.
  • Voter Identification Card.
  • Driving license
  • NREGS Jobs Card.
  • Photo Bank ATM Card.
  • Voter identification card.
  • Certificate of birth of the applicant.

 Benefits of Aadhaar Card

Aadhaar Card comes up with multiple benefits. We all know that the registration for Aadhaar Card is not mandatory but every citizen of India should apply for it. We will show the importance of having Aadhaar Card in your life.

IDENTITY CARD: Aadhaar Card has been acted as your identity card as it contains various detail along with your fingerprints. Moreover, it also contains the QR Code which can be scanned to verify whether the details mentioned in the card are correct or not. This makes Aadhaar all the more important identification proof.

RESIDENTIAL PROOF: As we all know that our Aadhaar Card contains our address. Hence it can be used as your proof of residence. Moreover, while availing for any kind of loan, lenders or bankers ask youe Aadhaar Card. It makes the procedure easy.

GOVERNMENT SUBSIDY: The government has made it compulsory for people to link their bank accounts with Aadhaar to avail subsidies under different schemes. In order to get the subsidy directly in the bank account for schemes such as Pahal, Atal Pension Yojna, kerosene subsidy, school subsidy, food subsidies and others, people have to mandatorily furnish their Aadhaar.

BANK ACCOUNTS: If an individual wishes to open an account in any financial institution then Aadhaar Card has become the first need to ask for. It has become almost mandatory to show it to your banker. As it makes the process easy and simple.

GAS CONNECTION: People have to provide their Aadhaar for getting a new gas connection. In case they want to avail subsidy on their present gas connection, they will have to fill the KYC form and link Aadhar with their bank account to get subsidy directly in their account under the Pahal (DBTL) scheme