Aadhaar Card holders to pay Rs 1 crore fine on violating some rules

To tackle the issues related to cases where people have been accused of misusing Aadhaar, the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) has recently been permitted to impose huge fines on fraudsters for Aadhaar violations.

Adjudicating Officers appointed by the UIDAI shall decide such matters, and may impose penalties up to Rs 1 crore on such entities. The Telecom Disputes Settlement and Appellate Tribunal shall be the appellate authority against decisions of the Adjudicating Officer.

Last year, the government notified the UIDAI rules under which the organisation may initiate a complaint against an entity that fails to comply with the Act or the UIDAI’s directions. The complaint will be registered in the Aadhaar ecosystem and UIDAI will furnish the required information.

Apart from this, impersonation by providing false demographic or biometric information is an offence as per Aadhaar laws and will attract imprisonment for three years and a fine of Rs 10,000. The UIDAI said, “Appropriating the identity of an Aadhaar number holder by changing or attempting to change the demographic and biometric information of an Aadhaar number holder is an offence - imprisonment for 3 years and a fine of Rs. 10,000.”