Stricter Aadhaar DOB rules leave Odisha citizens struggling to correct records

A tightening of rules governing changes to dates of birth (DOB) on Aadhaar cards has left many citizens in Odisha facing prolonged difficulties, with repeated visits to Jana Seva Kendras yielding little resolution. 

The revised Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) issued by the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) has restricted the scope for corrections, affecting those whose DOB details do not match across official documents.

Residents report running from one Jana Seva Kendra to another without success. The problem is particularly acute for people who have differing dates of birth recorded on Aadhaar and voter ID cards. Despite multiple attempts, errors remain uncorrected, leading to inconvenience in accessing schemes and services that require consistent age records.

Naba Kishore Rana, a resident of Ward No. 12 in Balasore town, said his voter ID lists his age as 67 years, while his Aadhaar card shows 65. “No matter how much we tried, we could not update the Aadhaar card. Whoever we approached sent us elsewhere, and everyone suggested different methods, but nothing worked,” he said.

Impact On Daily Needs

A similar experience was reported by Bulu Raut from the Kamalapada area of Ganjam district, who requires accurate documents to apply for a passport. “My birth details on the certificate and Aadhaar card do not match. I need this for a passport, but if it does not change, I will face multiple problems,” he said.

What The New Rules Say

Earlier, Aadhaar holders could change their DOB multiple times using affidavits and other general documents. However, following reported misuse to access age-linked government benefits, UIDAI has issued new guidelines, suspending all previous SOPs.

Under the new rules, an individual can have only one date of birth. In general cases, the DOB recorded in the Aadhar database cannot be changed. Corrections are permitted only in special cases, based on valid documents, such as errors by enrolment operators or incorrect details provided for minors. A birth certificate is the only legally accepted proof, and even then, the facility can be used only once.

Concerns Raised By Experts

The new restrictions have drawn criticism from some quarters. Odisha-based Anindya Panda said, “Dates of birth on Aadhaar cards cannot be updated now, and people are being harassed. New rules are introduced without fully understanding the problems faced by the general public.”