Aadhaar Card- An unique Identity Number

What is an Aadhaar card?

Aadhaar is a verifiable 12-digit individual identification number issued by UIDAI (Unique Identification Authority of India) on behalf of the Government of India to the residents of India for free of cost. The number serves as a proof of identity and address, anywhere in India. The Aadhaar letter received via India Post and e-Aadhaar Card downloaded from the UIDAI website are equally valid.

Aadhaar is:

• A 12-digit unique identity for every Indian individual, including children and infants
• Enables identification for every resident Indian
• Establishes uniqueness of every individual on the basis of demographic and biometric information
• It is a voluntary service that every resident can avail irrespective of present documentation
• Each individual will be given a single unique Aadhaar ID number
• Aadhaar will provide a universal identity infrastructure which can be used by any identity-based application (like ration card, passport, etc.)
• UIDAI will give Yes/No answers to any identity authentication queries

Aadhaar is not:

• Just another card
• Only one Aadhaar card per family is enough
• Collects profiling information such as caste, religion, and language
• Mandatory for every Indian resident who has identification documents
• An individual can obtain multiple Aadhaar ID numbers
• Aadhaar will replace all other IDs
• UIDAI information will be accessible to public and private agencies

Who can enroll for an Aadhaar card / Conditions for Aadhaar card?

• Any individual, irrespective of age and gender, who is a resident in India and satisfies the verification process laid down by the UIDAI can enrol for Aadhaar.
• Individuals need to enrol only once but in case of multiple enrolment, the Aadhaar is generated against one of the enrolment ID while others are rejected as duplicate. Aadhaar Enrolment is free of cost for all the residents of India.
• The Aadhaar number is unique for each individual and will remain valid for life time. 
• The Aadhaar number will help the residents to avail various services provided by banking, mobile phone connections and other Govt and Non-Govt services in due course.

Documents required for Aadhaar Card enrollment:

The documents required for an Aadhaar card can be divided into four sections:

• Identity Proof- Passport, Ration card, PAN card, Driving license, Voter ID, etc.
• Address Proof – Ration card, Voter ID, Driving license, Passport, bank statement/passbook, etc.
• Proof of Date of Birth – Passport, SSLC certificate, Birth certificate, PAN card, etc.
• Proof of Relationship – PDS Card, job card of MGNREGA, Passport, marriage certificate, etc.

The above are the documents required for Aadhaar card. Now let us have a look on the Documents that are required to be linked with Aadhaar card.

Documents that must be linked with your Aadhaar card:

• Bank account details
• PAN Card
• Voter ID Card
• LPG Connection Card
• Ration Card
• Mobile number

How to Link an Aadhaar card with Bank account details online?

• To link your bank account with your Aadhaar online, your net banking should be activated.
• Log into net banking and go the link ‘Update Aadhaar Card Details’ or ‘Aadhaar Card Seeding’
• Enter all your Aadhaar details, verify the same and submit.
• Once your details are confirmed at the bank, you will get a notification through email or on the registered phone number.
• For offline linking, you will need an Aadhaar and Bank linking form.

Benefit- By linking these two documents, you can receive benefits from government welfare schemes, such as pensions, welfare funds, scholarships etc., all of which are directly credited to your bank account.

How to link an Aadhaar card with a PAN card?

Linking an Aadhaar card with PAN card is mandatory. Here is how you can link your Aadhaar with a PAN card for income tax returns.

• Log on to Income Tax Government Portal
• Click on the ‘Link Aadhaar Tab’
• Enter your PAN and Aadhaar number or 
• SMS UIDPAN<SPACE><Aadhaar no><Space><PAN no> and send to 567678 or 56161

Benefit- It will reduce corruption and fraud eliminating fake PAN card numbers. It can also identify tax evaders and reduce the possibility of black money circulation.

How to link an Aadhaar card with a Voter ID?

Linking your Aadhaar with your voter ID is a simple, straightforward procedure. This can be done online, through your phone by sending an SMS or by contacting the call center.

• To complete the procedure online, you need to visit the official NVSP website
• You can also link these documents by sending this SMS to 166 OR 51969- ECILINK < EPIC_Number > < Aadhaar_Number >
• Or you can call dedicated call centres on 1950 on weekdays, where all you need to do is provide your Aadhaar details and EPIC number
• To link these documents offline, you will have to submit an application to your Booth Level Officer (BLO)

Benefit- Linking these documents will help eliminate multiple voter ID cards in one person’s name, thus cleaning up the voting system.

How to link an Aadhaar card with LPG?

To do this, your bank account and Aadhaar card must be linked.

• You must first download the subsidy form from https://petroleum.nic.in or the official websites of Bharat Gas, HP Gas or Indane.
• Fill it up with the necessary details and submit it to the closest LPG distributor, along with an application.
• You can also do it by simply calling the call centre at 18000-2333-555 and following the instructions.

Benefit- This enables you to avail subsidized LPG that the government offers.

How to link an Aadhaar card with a Ration Card?

 Like most other documents, the ration and Aadhaar card can be linked online and offline.

• This must be done from the Aadhaar seeding website.
• Click on ‘Start Now’ and enter all the necessary details.
• Once this is done, an OTP number will be sent to your phone.
• After entering this number, your application will be processed and you will receive a notification.
• To link them offline, you need photocopies of your ration card and Aadhaar copies of your family members.
• You also need a passport photograph of the head of the family. You will also need a photocopy of your bank passbook if your bank account is not linked to your Aadhaar.
• Submit these to the ration office. You will be notified by SMS or email once the documents have reached the relevant department.

Benefit- It will stop the misuse of ration cards.

How to link an Aadhaar card with Mobile Number?

• Download and print the Aadhar Update/Correction Form from the website
• In the ‘Field for Update/ Correction’ mentioned at the top of the form, tick ‘Mobile’
• Fill in the necessary details in the form as per your Aadhaar card
• Provide your mobile and Aadhaar card numbers in the respective fields
• Sign or provide your thumb print on the document
• The application then has to be mailed to the Aadhaar office
• This process can also be completed by physically visiting an Aadhaar centre, where along with filling the form, your biometrics will be recorded and verified as well.

Benefit- It helps establish your identity and avail government social security schemes. It can also aid financial matters like keeping bank accounts active and filing tax returns.

Apart from this the Government has made it mandatory to mention Aadhaar for filing of GST returns, income tax return. Also Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) has made it compulsory to link provident fund accounts with Aadhaar.