Madhya Pradesh

• 20 Nov 2024

Aadhaar Card Not Proof of Age: Madhya Pradesh HC

Why in News?

Recently, the Madhya Pradesh High Court ruled that Aadhaar Card can be used to establish identity but was not as a proof of date of birth.

Key Points

• Background:
  • A widow filed a petition seeking compensation under the Jan Kalyan (Sambal) Yojana 2018, for her husband’s death by electrocution.
  • Her application was rejected as her husband’s age, according to other documents like the Voter ID and ration card, exceeded the eligibility limit of 64 years.
  • The petitioner argued that the age recorded in the Aadhaar card should be considered, which would have made her eligible for the compensation.
• Legal Precedence and Supreme Court Ruling:
  • The High court referenced an October 2024, Supreme Court ruling stating that Aadhaar cannot be used as proof of age.
  • The ruling considered earlier judgments by various High Courts and a circular issued by Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) in August 2023.
• The High Court observed that any executive instruction allowing Aadhaar to be used as proof of age under state schemes cannot override Court judgments.

Aadhaar

• Aadhaar is a 12 digit individual identification number issued by the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) on behalf of the Government of India. The number serves as a proof of identity and address, anywhere in India.
• Aadhaar card, which is a biometric document, stores an individual's personal information on a government database.
• An Aadhaar card can be issued to any person residing in the country for more than six months continuously, provided he/she submits one of the 18 listed identity cards and an address proof.
  • Foreign nationals are eligible to obtain one if they have been living in India for half a year.
• 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.