Aadhaar Card is a universal documents accepted as proof of identity as well as proof of address. It is a unique identity proof. All Indian residents can apply for Aadhaar Card. This document is issued by UIDAI (Unique Identification Authority of India). UIDAI issues this document as well as maintains details of every Aadhaar Card holder in the country. This document has your biometric and demographic details. But, even if you possess this document, it is important to verify if your Aadhaar number is still active or not.
This is because several Aadhaar number have been deactivated given malpractices wherein one individual possesses more than one Aadhaar Card. A person is allowed to only own one Aadhaar Card. So, you can verify if your Aadhaar is still active or not. For Aadhaar Card verification you will need your Aadhaar number. The process is available online by submitting the 12-digit Aadhaar number on the portal of UIDAI.
To know if the Aadhaar issued to you is still valid or not, you need to verify the existence status of your Aadhaar number. You do not have to visit a physical Aadhaar Seva Kendra for the verification process. It can be done online itself.
Below-given are steps to verify Aadhaar online:
Below-given are FAQs about Aadhaar number verification:
When you check Aadhaar status, you submit the enrolment ID, date and time as on the acknowledgement slip. This is done to know if your Aadhaar is generated or updated. It is not meant to note if your Aadhaar is active or deactivated. For the latter, you need to follow the above-mentioned steps on verification of Aadhaar. This process tells you if your existing Aadhaar number is valid/active or no longer active.
After verification, if your Aadhaar number shows as ‘exists’, then you have nothing to worry about. You can use the document for verification and authentication purpose at agencies. You can use the Card for the purposes it is meant for, and do not have to reactivate the document.
You can reactivate a deactivated Aadhaar. For this purpose, you need to get re-verification of your biometrics done at an Aadhaar Seva Kendra. Your previous biometrics will be matched with the new one. When the match is confirmed, the document will be reactivated. For this update, you have to pay a small fee of Rs. 25 at the enrolment centre.
There could be a need to update the document with other details as well. Find out the nearest enrolment centre and go along with the necessary documents (proof of identity, address, and date of birth). Fill out the Aadhaar update form and then submit this with the documents.
Your Aadhaar could be deactivated for various reasons. The authority could have done so because of anomalous or mixed biometric information or multiple Aadhaar Cards registered on one single name. This document can also be deactivated upon non-usage of the Card for 3 consecutive years. So, if you have not carried out transactions, filed income tax returns , or linked Aadhaar with PAN, etc, then it is likely that your Aadhaar number could be deactivated.
Aadhaar Card for children is also at a risk of being deactivated. This is especially true for children below 5 years of age. Children of this age need their Aadhaar details updated again after they become 15 years old. If the document is not updated when the child reaches 15 years of age, then the Aadhaar number will be deactivated.
