From now on, you must have an Aadhaar number, or enrolment slip if you haven’t got an Aadhaar identification yet, to avail government subsidies and benefits. The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) said this in a circular to all central ministries and state governments last week.
News18 has a copy of the circular issued on August 11 by the UIDAI that tightens the Aadhaar rules further. There is an existing provision in section 7 of the Aadhaar Act to facilitate a person who has not been assigned an Aadhaar number, to avail of the benefits, subsidies, and services “through alternate and viable means of identification.”
The latest circular says that more than 99 per cent of adults in the country have been issued an Aadhaar number now.
“Thus in the above backdrop and considering the proviso to Section 7 of the Act…in case no Aadhaar number has been assigned to an individual, he/she shall make an application for enrolment and till such time Aadhaar number is assigned to such individual, he/she may avail the benefits, subsidies and services through alternate and viable means of identification along with Aadhaar Enrolment Identification (EID) number/slip,” the circular mentions.
This means an Aadhaar Enrolment Identification (EID) number/slip would be required for availing central and state government services, benefits, and subsidies if one does not have an Aadhaar number yet.
The circular says a multitude of services and benefits are being transferred directly to the residents owing to such wide coverage of 99 per cent adults having Aadhaar identification. “Aadhaar has significantly improved the quality of resident/citizen experience in receiving welfare services,” the circular says. As per the latest data with UIDAI in fact, 95.74 lakh Aadhaar numbers have been assigned to adults, which is nearly 101 per cent of the projected population of adults in India as on 2022. Aadhaar is seen as a major tool to stop leakages in government subsidies and schemes.
Virtual identifier (VID) can be optional
The UIDAI had earlier extended the facility of virtual identifier (VID) to residents, which is an interchangeable 16-digit random number mapped to an Aadhaar number of the Aadhaar number holder, to give a sense of security as well as privacy to the concerned person. Regulations said an Aadhaar number holder may use VID in lieu of Aadhaar number for online authentication or e-KYC and requesting entities shall ensure that the provision of Aadhaar authentication using virtual ID is provided.
But in a second circular issued on August 11, the UIDAI has said government entities may make the VID optional.
“Some government entities may require the Aadhaar number in their respective databases for smooth implementation of the social welfare schemes. Therefore, such government entities may require beneficiaries to provide Aadhaar numbers and made VID optional,” the UIDAI has said in the circular.
Aadhaar for certificates too
In yet another circular issued on August 11, the UIDAI also specified that Aadhaar or an Aadhaar enrolment number may also be required for issuance of different certificates that are used in determining eligibility of beneficiaries for delivery of benefits, subsidies, and services under schemes funded by various governments.
These certificates find their “ultimate utility” in determining eligibility for various government schemes for disbursal of social welfare benefits. “Hence, these services (certificates) can be considered under purview of Section 7 of the Act for delivery of subsidies, benefits and services, wherever such implementing entities feel the need thereof,” the UIDAI’s second circular mentions.
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