The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) on Thursday urged entities to verify Aadhaar before they accept it in either physical or electronic form for establishing the identity of an individual. This is very essential to avoid any potential fraud or impersonation by confirming the genuineness of any Aadhaar.
UIDAI maintains that verification of Aadhaar number following the consent of the concerned holder is the right step to establish genuineness of any form of Aadhaar (Aadhaar letter, e-Aadhaar, Aadhaar PVC card, and m-Aadhaar) presented by an individual.
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“The verification prohibits unscrupulous elements, and anti-social elements from indulging in any possible misuse. It also promotes usage hygiene and reasserts UIDAI’s stand that any 12-digit number is not an Aadhaar,” a PIB release read.
It is pertinent to mention here that tampering of Aadhaar documents can be detected by offline verification.
Penal Provision
Tampering is a punishable offence and liable for penalties under Section 35 of the Aadhaar Act.
UIDAI has requested the state governments by emphasizing the need for verification before usage, and has urged the states to give necessary direction so that whenever Aadhaar is submitted as a proof of identity – authentication/verification of the resident is performed by the concerned entity using Aadhaar as an identity document.
How Can Aadhaar Be Verified
Aadhaar can be verified using the QR code available on all forms of Aadhaar (Aadhaar letter, e-Aadhaar, Aadhaar PVC card, and m-Aadhaar) using mAadhaar App, or Aadhaar QR code Scanner.
The QR code scanner is freely available for both Android and iOS based mobile phones, as well as window-based applications. Residents may voluntarily use the Aadhaar number to establish their identity by presenting their Aadhaar in either paper or electronic form. UIDAI has already issued dos and don’ts for residents, and residents can use their Aadhaar confidently.