Aadhaar Card: New Guidelines Affect Age Proof for Government Schemes
The Central Government has updated rules for age proof using Aadhaar cards. Only family registers and educational certificates now officially verify DOB, enhancing transparency and security of government benefits.
Highlights
- •New guidelines abolish DOB from Aadhaar as official identity and benefit verification
- •Family registers and educational certificates now serve as primary documents for date-of-birth validation
- •Enhanced measures to prevent misuse in welfare schemes
- •Aadhaar retains solely its role as a proof of identity, not age
The Central Government of India has recently made significant changes to the criteria used in age verification for various government schemes. As of now, the date of birth (DOB) listed on the Aadhaar card will no longer be accepted as a conclusive proof for accessing welfare benefits. Instead, documents such as family registers and educational certificates will serve as validated sources for determining eligibility.
Impact: Age Verification in Government Programs
The Central Government's move is intended to safeguard against potential misuse of benefit schemes, where inaccuracies or self-declared DOBs on Aadhaar cards could lead to misallocation of funds. Family registers and educational certificates are now the primary documents for official date-of-birth verification.Under these new guidelines, only the DOB recorded in family registers and educational certificates will be deemed valid. This change
For example, Aadhaar cards cannot currently serve as reliable proof for accessing old-age pensions, widow benefits, or mass marriage schemes due to their past acceptance as both an identity and DOB validation tool. District Social Welfare Officer Sunil Kumar Singh stated that while Aadhaar was previously accepted across all state and central government programs, this is no longer the case.
Explanation of Family Registers
A family register is a document maintained by local governments for tracking vital information about family members. It records details such as names, ages, relationships, gender, caste, occupation, and even death records of all residents under a household's head.
This policy adjustment underscores the broader aim to harmonize age verification processes across various government initiatives while ensuring accurate distribution and accountability in welfare programs.
