The Aadhaar card is one of the most important identity documents. It is used for many tasks, from opening a bank account to get admissions in schools. Hence, it is important to keep this document safe with you so that no other person can misuse it. Referring to these concerns, the central government has advised citizens against sharing their Aadhaar cards with anyone else.
The government advisory states that citizens should only share masked copies of their Aadhaar cards in order to prevent any possible misuse.
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The advisory was shared in a press release on May 27. It reads, “Do not share photocopy of your Aadhaar with any organisation as it can be misused. Alternatively, please use a masked Aadhaar which displays only the last four digits of your Aadhaar number.”
The notice issued by the Union Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology mentions that unlicensed private entities, including hotels and movie halls are not allowed to collect or keep photocopies of Aadhaar card.
According to the notice, “Only those organisations that have obtained a User License from the Unique Identification Authority of India can use Aadhaar for establishing the identity of a person.”
The government has asked citizens to remain vigilant and always verify if an organisation has a valid user licence from the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI). The UIDAI issues Unique Identification numbers (UID), named as "Aadhaar", to all citizens of India.
Those who use public computers at Internet cafes for important work must also remain alert as the government has warned against downloading Aadhaar cards via such computers. In case you have to use a public computer, the advisory asks citizens to ensure they delete all the downloaded copies of e-Aadhaar permanently from that computer.”
As it is not advisable to share photocopies of your Aadhaar card, you can use a ‘masked Aadhaar’ for your important work.
Here’s how to get a masked Aadhaar card
- Visit the official website of UIDAI i.e. https://uidai.gov.in/
- Enter your 12-digit Aadhaar card number
- Next, you have to choose the option – ‘Do you want a masked Aadhaar’.
- Download the masked Aadhar copy from here
