Govt withdraws advisory against using Aadhaar Card photocopies

The Press Information Bureau (PIB) has withdrawn the advisory directing Indians not to give photocopies of their Aadhaar cards to various organizations. It had recommended using a masked Aadhaar instead, which allows organisations to view the last four digits of an individual’s Aadhaar card.

The Bengaluru regional office of the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) had issued a press release which advised people against downloading copies of their Aadhaar cards on public devices, such as computers at internet cafes/kiosks and told them to make sure they delete the copies if they do so anyway.

It also emphasized that private entities without a ‘User License’ obtained from the UIDAI are not allowed to collect or keep copies of Aadhaar cards to establish an individual’s identity, which is in violation of the Aadhaar Act, 2016.

An Aadhaar number consists of 12 digits. Masking an Aadhaar number means replacing the first eight digits with some characters like "xxxx-xxxx" while only the last four digits of the original number are visible.

Below are the steps to download an electronic version of masked Aadhaar card:

Go to the link https:// eaadhaar.uidai.gov.in/genricDownloadAadhaar

Type your Aadhaar card number and enter the captcha

3. Select option 'Do you want a masked Aadhaar'.

Enter the OTP received on your mobile phone

Verify and download your masked Aadhaar card

The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), the parent body of the UIDAI, said, “The release advised the people to not to share photocopy of their Aadhaar with any organisation because it can be misused. Alternatively, a masked Aadhaar which displays only the last 4 digits of the Aadhaar number, can be used. However, in view of the possibility of the misinterpretation of the Press Release, the same stands withdrawn with immediate effect.”