UP Aadhaar update: No longer accepted as birth certificate or proof of date of birth

Lucknow: The Uttar Pradesh government has clarified that Aadhaar cards will no longer be accepted as a birth certificate or as proof of date of birth. The Planning Department has issued instructions to all state departments, emphasising that an Aadhaar card does not include a birth certificate and therefore cannot serve as one.

Amit Singh Bansal, Special Secretary of the Planning Department, formally communicated the directive, stating that the Aadhaar card is not valid as a birth certificate. Departments have been instructed to implement the order immediately.

Earlier today, the Maharashtra Revenue Department announced that Aadhaar will no longer be accepted as a document for issuing delayed birth certificates in the state. All delayed birth certificates created using only an Aadhaar card after the introduction of the Births and Deaths Registration (Amendment) Act, 2023, will be cancelled. The decision follows increasing cases of fake birth and death certificates being used for illegal activities.

Revenue Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule has directed officials to cancel all suspicious certificates issued through Aadhaar-based applications and to initiate action against officers responsible for approving them. A 16-point verification guideline has been issued to Tehsildars, Sub-Divisional Officers, District Collectors and Divisional Commissioners to strengthen scrutiny.

According to the revised guidelines, any orders issued by Deputy Tehsildars after the August 11, 2023 amendment must be withdrawn and re-verified by the competent authority or the District Collector. Pending applications under suspension must be examined immediately, and any certificate not compliant with the Public Health Department’s rules or the new SOP must be cancelled. Entries uploaded on the Civil Registration System (CRS) portal should also be deleted.