Clearance obtained to issue delayed Aadhaar digital ID to nearly 1M Indians

Nearly 9.35 lakh (almost one million) Indians in the State of Assam, who had issues with having the Aadhaar digital ID for about four years now, have been cleared to obtain the important identity credential.

Assam Tribune reports that these individuals who had submitted their biometrics for the Aadhaar since 2019, have remained in the wait as the government tried to ascertain if they there were any issues with their citizenship.

A sub-committee, which was created to look into the issue, found that the nearly one million individuals concerned had no citizenship irregularities despite having submitted their biometrics at Aadhaar centers that were also used as centers for the National Register of Citizens (NRC) at the time. The NRC is a system in India that documents citizens to distinguish them from illegal immigrants living in the country.

According to the media outlet, the findings of the sub-committee got the approval of cabinet which then paved the way for these applicants to be able to have their Aadhaar digital IDs, following a process with the federal government which lasted about two years.

The Centre ordered resumption of the Aadhaar digital ID after consultations with the Solicitor General, the report notes. Following the order, Chief Minister, Himanta Biswa Sharma, is quoted as saying that all those involved should approach the centers where they submitted their biometrics to collect their cards.

With the problem having been effectively resolved, the Minister said the individuals, after having collected their Aadhaars, will enjoy seamless and secure access to a wide range of services from government and the private sector including access to financial services.

Meanwhile, the resolution of the problem that led to the Aadhaar issuance delay for these people has been hailed as a positive development by the Bharatiya Gorkha Parisangh, a non-governmental organization that protects the interest of the Nepali ethic group in India, writes Northeast News.

The General Secretary of the Assam State Committee of the organization, Nanda Kirati Dewan, is quoted as expressing gratitude to all those who contributed in seeking a solution to the problem, including lawmakers in the two chambers of parliament. He recalled some of the difficulties the people had gone through without an Aadhaar ID, which is owned by almost every eligible Indian.

Last month, the government said 1.38 billion Aadhaar numbers had been issued. The ID is a major component of the country’s digital public infrastructure (DPI) ecosystem which is projected to make the country a trillion-dollar digital economy by 2030.

Article Topics

Aadhaar  |  digital ID  |  financial services  |  government services  |  identity management  |  India