The Uttar Pradesh government has issued a clear directive to all its departments instructing them not to treat the Aadhaar card as a birth certificate or as valid proof of date of birth. The Planning Department of the state issued the order when it was noted that some of the government offices still used Aadhaar details to verify the age and date of birth even when there were guidelines to the contrary.

In communication, the Planning Department restated the fact that Aadhaar is intended only as an identification card and not as final testimony of the date of birth of an individual. It was pointed out to the officials that even the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) does not recognize Aadhaar as a replacement for statutory documents, like the birth certificates issued by competent authorities. The departments have been requested to ensure that they use certified documents like birth certificates, school certificates, or any other documents that are accepted by the law when dealing with matters that require verification of the age or date of birth.

The directive will create consistency among the departments in the government and minimize the errors that occur through the use of Aadhaar that could include self-reported or updated information that might not always be substantiated by documentation. According to officers, further abuse of Aadhaar in this regard was likely to create administrative issues, court challenges, and errors in government databases.

The action is in response to increased administrative operations in the state. The government has been keen on documentation, verification, and regulatory compliance recently.

According to experts, the new order ascertains the old legal stance on Aadhaar and is bound to have effects on the procedures of recruitment, pension, welfare programs, and other government services, where age matters are very significant. The departments have been guided to ensure that they examine their internal practices and follow the directive to the letter to prevent cases of discrepancy in the future.

The state government is expected to monitor implementation closely and may issue further clarifications if required.

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