Aadhar card numbers are 12-digit individual identification numbers. This string is issued by the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) on behalf of the Indian government. It essentially serves as proof of identity and address in India, enabling agencies and services to authenticate someone’s identity.
Aadhar (also spelled as Aadhaar) card verification is not just important but necessary. The Aadhar card is your unique identifier as it contains both demographic and biometric information belonging to you. This information is important for many tasks, such as verifying your identity and filing income tax returns. Here, we will review what Aadhar card verification is, why you may want to verify your Aadhar, and how to do it. We will also answer some frequently asked questions at the end.
What is Aadhar card verification?
Verifying your Aadhar card helps you check if your card has been deactivated or invalidated. It is critical to make sure that your Aadhar is usable because of how essential this particular identification card is. The Indian government has made it necessary for Indian residents to link this Aadhar card with other documents, such as their driving licence and PAN cards.
This important process to verify your Aadhar has been made fairly simple due to the fact that the service is available online.
Without proper Aadhar card number verification, your ability to authenticate your identity may be compromised.
What are the benefits of verifying your Aadhar?
It is no longer a question of whether Aadhar verification benefits you because it has become a rather necessary part of the Indian system. Verifying your Aadhar card can help you more easily file your income tax returns, acquire a passport, get a new SIM card, open a new bank account, receive your pension money, buy a car, avail of financial services, and more. Government services and plenty of other use cases require Aadhar identification.
In addition, if there are any errors relating to your Aadhar, the verification process is the perfect time to rectify these errors.
After your Aadhar has been verified, you open yourself to a whole new world of opportunities and more convenient identity authentication processes.
Aadhar card verification online
One of the easier ways to complete your Aadhar card verification process is by doing so online on the UIDAI page. The convenient part about this process is that unless something goes awry, you do not have to prepare any additional proof of identity during the verification because the online database has already stored all of it for you.
Here is how you can directly verify your Aadhar card online:
- Visit the official UIDAI website for Aadhar services at: https://uidai.gov.in/en/my-aadhaar/avail-aadhaar-services.html.
- Choose the “Verify Aadhaar” option listed at the top of the page.
- Enter the number that you want to verify.
- Complete the captcha security verification step.
- Choose the “Proceed and Verify Aadhaar” option.
- The next page should tell you that the verification has been completed. It will give you detailed information, such as the last three digits of your registered mobile phone number, age, gender, and state.
- If your Aadhar has been deactivated, it will tell you the card is not active.
Aadhar card verification offline
If verification does not work online for any reason or you are worried about your Aadhar card verification status, you may want to try verifying your Aadhar number physically. In this case, you will need to collect your supporting documents and go to an enrolment centre near you, where you may re-verify your biometrics to add them into the UIDAI database.
Aadhar card verification by name
If you do not have your Enrolment ID or your Aadhar number on you, you may still be able to verify your card by name. The process can be done on the official UIDAI website by following these steps:
- Go to the UIDAI site at: https://uidai.gov.in/en/my-aadhaar/avail-aadhaar-services.html
- Choose the “Retrieve Lost or Forgotten EID/UID” option
- Fill in your details
- Check the box of either the Aadhaar No. option or the Enrolment ID option
- Make sure you can enter details such as your full name, registered mobile phone number, and email address
- Complete the Captcha code and click on the “Send OTP” button. You will receive a One Time Password on your registered mobile phone
- Verify your OTP and download the e-Aadhaar
OTP stands for “one-time password”. As long as you have a registered mobile phone and the necessary details, you can use an OTP to verify your Aadhar card by name or lock your Aadhar biometrics.
Supporting documentation for an Aadhar card verification app
If you utilise the online verification process for your Aadhar card, you do not need to submit any documents. This is because the UIDAI database already has all of your identifiable information stored in its online database.
However, if you need to verify your Aadhar card offline for any reason, you will need to gather a list of proof before you can do so.
How to lock or unlock your Aadhar card
After you have verified your Aadhar card, you may want to lock it. While it may seem daunting at first to lock your Aadhar card’s biometric data, it can help you avoid the misuse and abuse of your Aadhar identification card. If you lock your Aadhar on the UIDAI website, it does mean that you will not be able to perform any authentication using your Aadhar card. Residents may want to perform an Aadhar locking act if they want an extra layer of security.
Locking your Aadhar card essentially helps prevent misuse of your Aadhar. Aadhar card OTP verification can assist you in locking or unlocking your Aadhar card.
The point of locking your Aadhar biometrics is so that they will not be used unless you yourself want to use your biometrics for some sort of verification. It adds an additional layer of protection to your Aadhar card and can prevent your sensitive identifiable data from falling into the wrong hands. It is important to recognise that you will need to keep your registered mobile phone number active.
Why is biometric data important for Aadhar cards?
Aadhar verification involves using biometric data, which consists of information such as fingerprints, iris detail, as well as photographic identity.
Biometric data can be very convenient in regard to authenticating someone’s identity because of its uniqueness. However, there is also a concern that your biometric data is not stolen by malicious actors. In recent years, there have been situations where people’s important personally identifiable data has been stolen. Hackers have taken advantage of vulnerabilities associated with unlocked biometric data.
Locking your biometric data can minimise the chance of identity fraud committed against you.
Aadhaar Verification : FAQs
Verifying your Aadhar card ensures that your Aadhar number is both issued and still valid. It essentially tells you if your Aadhar is usable.
You can verify your Aadhar card online and find an array of Aadhar-related services all on the UIDAI website at: https://uidai.gov.in/en/my-aadhaar/avail-aadhaar-services.html
If you would prefer to verify your Aadhar offline, you can also physically verify the Aadhar card.
Every resident of India can enrol for an Aadhar card, no matter the age. Whether the individual is a newborn or an adult, they can be eligible for an Aadhar card so long as they are an Indian resident.
You need proof of identity, proof of address, proof of age, as well as proof of relationship with the head of the family. A list of official documents that are accepted can be found on this Aadhar card verification form here.
Aadhar verification necessitates that each individual does it for themselves. Verification cannot be done by someone else. Information associated with each Aadhar number is personal and important.
This may differ if you are the parent or guardian of a young child. Because of the importance of Aadhar cards, many newborns are enrolled for Aadhar when they are born in the hospital, which provides an Aadhar acknowledgement slip on top of birth certificates. The enrolment of young children in the Aadhar card system has special steps. Notably, children under the age of 5 do not get their biometric data captured.
Your Aadhar Authentication History can be found on the UIDAI website. It shows the past 50 authentication attempts made on your Aadhar number. It can be useful to see the history of your Aadhar number authentication and discern if there has been any unauthorised or unexpected use. Verifying your Aadhar can further improve your sense of security and control over your own identity.
Read more about Aadhaar Card Reprint.
