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WHAT IS AADHAAR?

Aadhaar

Aadhaar is a 12-digit identifying number given by the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) to the residents of India after a certain verification process.

To get an Aadhaar number, individuals have to provide minimal demographic and biometric information, which include name, date of birth or age, gender, address, mobile number, and e-mail ID (optional), fingerprints, iris scans, and a facial photo.

What are the different forms of Aadhaar

UIDAI has issued multiple forms of Aadhaar, including Aadhaar letters, eAadhaar, mAadhar and Aadhaar PVC for residents. Aadhaar in all forms are valid. Indians can choose from the following:

Aadhaar Letter

Aadhaar letter is laminated paper-based documents issued to the residents after enrolment and update. In the event of a new enrolment or a mandatory biometric update, an Aadhaar letter is issued to the resident free of charge via regular mail.

In case the Aadhaar letter is lost or destroyed, the resident can purchase a reprint from UIDAI's official website for Rs 50.

eAadhaar

eAadhaar is a password-protected electronic copy of Aadhaar, which is digitally signed by UIDAI. The combination of the first 4 letters of name in capital and the year of birth (YYYY) are set as password. eAadhaar includes a QR code for offline verification as well as the issue and download dates.

Mask Aadhaar option allows residents to mask their Aadhaar number in downloaded e-Aadhaar. In a masked Aadhaar number, the first 8 digits of the Aadhaar number are replaced with some characters like “xxxx-xxxx” while only the last 4 digits of the Aadhaar Number are visible.

As per Aadhaar Act, e-Aadhaar is equally valid for all purposes. Residents can get their e-Aadhaar/masked e-Aadhaar from UIDAI's official website.

mAadhaar

mAadhaar is the official mobile application developed by UIDAI to provide a platform for Aadhaar holders to carry their demographic data i.e. name, date of birth, gender and address along with photographs with them in smartphones. It features a QR code that may be used to verify it offline.

mAadhaar can be installed on all smartphones working on iOS version 10.0 and above and Android version 5.0 and above. A user can add a maximum of three profiles on one device, provided all three profiles have the same mobile number registered in their Aadhaar. This is valid in cases where members of a family have the same mobile number registered as the mAadhaar user’s in their Aadhaar.

mAadhaar app can be used anywhere anytime within India. mAadhaar is more than an Aadhaar card in a wallet. The mAadhaar app can be used for biometric data locking/unlocking, sharing QR code and eKYC data, updating the Aadhaar profile and more.

Aadhaar PVC Card

Aadhaar PVC card was introduced by UIDAI in October 2020. It is easy to carry and durable. The PVC-based Aadhaar Card is a plastic card, which has a digitally signed secure QR code with photograph and demographic details with multiple security features.

This form of Aadhaar can be ordered online using an Aadhaar number, virtual ID or enrolment ID by paying a charge of Rs 50. After application, the card is delivered to the registered address by post.

LATEST UPDATES ON AADHAR

Aadhaar e-KYC transactions up 18.53% in Q3 of FY 2022-23: Govt data
In December alone, 32.49 crore e-KYC transactions were carried out using Aadhaar, over 13 per cent more than the previous month| January 27, 2023, Friday
Govt expects 5-7 countries to sign up for India's tech stack by March
The government expects five to seven countries to sign up for adopting India-developed technology platforms like UPI and Aadhaar ...| January 25, 2023, Wednesday
Several countries expected to adopt India's tech stack in Feb: Minister
India not looking to monetise platform's features that can be helpful to countries for digitising economies| January 24, 2023, Tuesday
Gaming firms recommend self-declaration mechanism, graded KYC to MeitY
The ministry is also expected to release some guidelines to prevent a conflict of interest for the board of SRO soon| January 17, 2023, Tuesday
UIDAI issues guidelines to entities doing offline verification of Aadhaar
The authority asked the offline verification entities to keep the data of any Aadhaar user, if they must for any reason, only in ...| January 11, 2023, Wednesday
UIDAI urges verification entities to comply with Aadhaar usage hygiene
Aadhaar-issuing body UIDAI has issued a set of guidelines to Offline Verification Seeking Entities (OVSEs) with several usage ...| January 10, 2023, Tuesday
Use Aadhaar confidently but maintain usage hygiene as bank account: UIDAI
The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) has advised people to use Aadhaar confidently as per their choice to avail ...| December 30, 2022, Friday
India's public digital platforms have delivered social inclusion: Vaishnaw
"India believes in the philosophy of inclusion. India's population scale and open source 'public digital platforms' such as UPI ...| December 29, 2022, Thursday
Madras High Court rejects plea against linking Aadhaar and electricity code
The first bench of the Madras High Court on Wednesday rejected a plea from an advocate seeking to quash a Government Order (GO) ...| December 21, 2022, Wednesday
Those not linking Aadhaar with election card will stay in voters' list: Gov
The names of people who do not share their Aadhaar number to link with the election identity card will not be struck off the ...| December 16, 2022, Friday