An Aadhaar is a 12-digit distinct identification number assigned to every Indian citizen based on their demographic and biometric data. The Aadhar number is issued and governed by the UIDAI -Unique Identification Authority of India. It supports in providing a well-ordered and transparent monitoring and governance by removing unprincipled practices and corruption to some extent. This is because every resident is being given a unique identification number. Knowing the increasing importance of Aadhaar and the introduction of various government programs today, Aadhaar has become the most popular and unique digital mode of identification.
Scope of an Aadhaar Card
Aadhaar is usually used to get and validate the details of an individual who desires to obtain the government subsidy. If you do not have your Aadhar card, government-based subsidies together with the related services will not be provided to you. An important point to note here is that Aadhaar cannot be treated as proof of citizenship. At the time of Aadhaar enrolment, you as an applicant will be notified about your right to have access to the data or information, various ways in which the data or the information will be utilized together with the nature of receivers with whom the data will be shared with.
What Aadhaar Acts says?
According to the Aadhaar Act of 2016, residents in India are entitled to apply for an Aadhaar card. A “resident” is defined as a person living in the country for 182 days or more in the previous year from the aadhaar enrolment date. You need to just fill up the Aadhaar Enrolment Form that is made available on the official website of UIDAI. Then you need to visit any nearest aadhaar enrolment centre and submit the same with other documents as specified by UIDAI.
For Aadhaar enrolment, there is a certain set of documents that you need to submit as proof of your identity as well as residence. On the other hand, UIDAI recognizes the fact that not everyone has documents substantiating their address always. Therefore, UIDAI has introduced the concept of an “Introducer” and here we will take you through the various aspects of an “Introducer” and understand how to apply for aadhaar card without address proof
The type of enrolment can be broadly categorized into three segments mainly mentioned below and you would need a specific set of documents under each type.
- Document-Based Enrolment:
You can enroll for Aadhaar by providing a valid Proof of Identity or PoI and a valid Proof of Address or PoA as per the list of acceptable documents available on the enrolment form or UIDAI
- Proof of Identity or POI-Compulsory
- Proof of Address or POA – Compulsory
- Proof of Date of Birth or DOB – You are needed to submit one valid DoB proof document as per the list of UIDAI. If you do not have the same, you are allowed to declare your Date of Birth or give your estimated age in years
How to apply for Aadhaar without documents?
The two categories will come under when you do not have any documents. Let us see the same in detail.
- Head of Family or HoF Based Enrolment:
For enrolment of the family members where documents for individuals are not available, however, the enrolment can still be done by furnishing the following details as :
- Name of the Head of the Family
- Proof of Relationship or PoR of the resident and HoF
- Aadhaar number for the HoF
- Biometric details of the Head of Family during enrolment
HoF based enrolment provided the individual’s name is existing in the family entitlement document like a ration card etc. The head of the family then will be allowed to introduce other members who are not having the documents in the family while they are enrolling, as per UIDAI. The HoF must also have his or her original identity and address proof and he must take along with him the family member who wants to apply for an Aadhaar card to the enrolment centre.
The family member applying for the Aadhaar card through the HoF must have proof of relationship with the HoF or PoR document. PoR documents must have the applicant’s name and HoF. As per UIDAI, the following is the list of valid documents as proof of relationship:
- PDS card
- CGHS/State Government/ECHS/ESIC Medical card
- Pension Card
- MNREGA Job Card
- Government-issued Marriage Certificate
- Birth Certificate issued by The Registrar of Birth, Municipal Corporation and other certified local government bodies like Tehsil, Taluk, etc.
- Army Canteen Card
- Central or State government issued a family entitlement document
- Address card with name and photo issued by Department of Posts
- Bhamashah card
- Discharge card or the slip issued by hospitals which belong to the Government for childbirth
- Certificate of identity with photo and relationship with HoF issued by village panchayat head or mukhiya, applicable for rural areas
- Certificate of identity with photo issued by an MP or MLA or MLC or Municipal Councillor or Gazetted Officer on their letterhead
- Introducer-based Aadhaar Card Enrolment
If you do not have the required supporting documents to prove your identity and address as mentioned above, then you are allowed to enroll yourself by introducer based aadhaar card enrolment. These ‘Introducers’ are certified officials who are appointed by the registrars. We will study in detail this concept below.
Overview of the “Introducer” concept
An Aadhaar introducer is a person acknowledged and certified by the registrar or the regional office of UIDAI. The particulars of the introducer with his basic details, residing address and Aadhaar data are registered in UIDAI’s CIDR -Central Identities Data Repository. Introducer based aadhar card has been designed keeping in mind the ordinary people who may not have the necessary documents as required to obtain an Aadhaar. In a few cases, the UIDAI Regional Office may take an initiative itself to identify a group of Introducers for the ease of the Registrars.
The introducer’s main job is to introduce an individual to UIDAI during Aadhaar enrolment who do not possess any proof of identity or POI or proof of address or POA. An introducer works under the governance of the registrar who has selected him. The role of the introducer is restricted only to that rea or zone for which he is appointed by the registrar in the respective jurisdiction. Additionally, a Registrar may limit the actions of an Introducer by organizational boundaries at a State or a district level. In case the other registrars also advise the same introducer, he or she can introduce people in other permitted provinces as well. An important point to note here is that this introduction does not mean providing a character certificate to the resident and is just a way by which the person can be identified to have a valid identity and address proof. The Introducers can be the following individuals as per UIDAI:
- Employees working under the Registrar
- Members belonging to the local administrative bodies
- Influencers like Teachers
- Chosen Local Body members
- Health Workers
- Representatives of local NGOs
- Asha workers/ Anganwadis
The below information or data are usually captured at the time of introducer based aadhar card enrolment:
- Name of the Introducer
- Aadhaar Number of the Introducer
- Biometric data of the introducer
Eligibility criteria of an “Introducer”
Now that you have understood the concept of an introducer based aadhar card, let us see the eligibility criteria as to when an individual can be an introducer for UIDAI. Not everyone can act as an Introducer and hence to be qualified or to be recognized as an introducer, you need to meet certain criteria. The list of those conditions is mentioned as below:
- Age: The introducer should be a minimum of 18 years of age and any person below 18 years is not eligible to become an introducer
- Background: The introducer must not have any criminal record, past or present
- Aadhaar: An introducer needs to share his or her Aadhaar number and necessary details to the UIDAI’s registrar
- Category: An introducer can be an employee working under the registrar, member of a local body, etc. as mentioned above under the concept of the introducer section.
- NGO: A representative of any local NGO may also become the introducer for UIDAI
Responsibilities of an introducer under the concept of introducer based aadhar card
Once the Registrar identifies zone-wise introducers at a District or a State level in which the Introducer is sanctioned to work, he will intimate the Introducers. Let us now see and understand the Responsibilities of an introducer which can be listed as below:
- The Introducers must present the Aadhaar alertness workshop planned by the Registrar and UIDAI to familiarize them with the Aadhaar program and realize an Introducer’s responsibilities and liabilities.
- If the recognized Introducer is prepared to work as an Introducer, he or she will have to give a written letter as per the format by the registrar to be an Introducer for introducer based aadhar card enrolments and to follow the rules and procedures of an Introducer mentioned by the Unique Identification Authority of India and the Registrar
- Introducers need to have their Aadhaar numbers and also needs to sign the consent forms before starting introducing the residents in the field
- Introducers must make sure that the Registrar has registered them as well as initiated them as an Introducer at UIDAI
- Introducers must be well-versed on the Schedules of Enrolment, locations of the Enrolment Centres and working hours of the Enrolment Centres in their designated area
- They also must make sure that their contact information is appropriately showed at the Enrolment Centre
- Introducer must be reachable to the residents without any difficulties
- The Introducers should check the name and address of the resident on the Enrolment form for exactness. Introducer must also check his or her particulars in the form and then provide the signature or thumbprint on the Enrolment Form as required
- Introducers should be available in the working hours of the Enrolment Centre for sanctioning residents. If they are not able to do so, they can go to the Enrolment Centre at the End of the Day to check the list of the residents waiting for their authorization
- Introducer must cautiously check and authorize the resident’s name and address details and approve or reject as appropriate
- The introducer needs to give their biometric on Aadhaar customer to ratify a resident’s enrolment
- The Introducer also needs to signs or provide their thumbprint on the consent form for the enrolment where consent print needs the same
- The introducer will not be able to introduce all individuals who approach them. Introducer must only introduce residents who do not have any valid document of proof of identity or address
- Introducer won’t be able to charge any fees for introducing the residents. Yet, Registrars may pay an allowance to them for doing this job
Liabilities of an introducer in introducer based aadhaar card
There are certain liabilities of an introducer which he must take care of and they are:
- Introducer should not conspire with a person to copy another person, whether dead or alive during enrolment
- Introducer should not assist an Aadhaar holder to intentionally take on the identity of a separate individual by altering their demographic info or even conspire to give false biometric information
- Severe actions will be taken against the introducer for violation of the mentioned rules
Importance of having an “Introducer”
The concept of introducer has been brought on the line of thought, that, if someone is not having proof of identity as well as any proof of residence, but still wants to enrol himself or herself for an aadhaar, he or she can go ahead and do so by way of an Introducer. An introducer is a completely different person who will be a 3rd party and therefore will endorse the aadhaar applicant fully and completely by doing the necessary due diligence. Therefore, it becomes an easy task for the aadhaar applicant to enrol for aadhaar.
Strengths and Drawback of an “Introducer”:
- The most important advantage is that you can apply for an aadhaar even if you do not have any identity and address proof
- The introducer will validate your identity as well as your address and therefore will validate your presence
- A risk of compromise remains due to the fact that an ‘Introducer” might intentionally get into wrong and unethical practices of verifying and validating fake individuals, upon someone’s request
- There may be a leakage on the biometrics as well as demographic data
Points to remember
Certain important points to remember are:
- Introducers concept must be used only when you need to enrol yourself for your Aadhaar and you do not possess any documents to substantiate your identity and address. You cannot use an introducer, if you have all the pertinent documents with you
- The role of an introducer is restricted to an allotted region only for which he or she has been chosen by the registrar. In case other registrars also inform the same introducer, he or she can introduce people in other permitted regions
- Introducers must have Aadhaar
- You must remember the eligibility conditions of an Introducer for your own knowledge