Aadhaar number not mandatory for birth/death registration: Government clarifies in RTI

New Delhi: The Registrar General of Union of India has clarified that Aadhaar number is not mandatory for registration of births and deaths.

The explanation has come in response to a RTI (Right to Information Act) application made by a resident of Andhra Pradesh. He had asked the Registrar General of India whether Aadhaar is mandatory for the registrations or not.

In this regard, the RTI reply referred to an earlier circular issued by Ministry of Home Affairs. The circular had stated,

"Registration of births and deaths in the country are being done under the provisions of Registration of Births and Deaths (RBD) Act, 1969 and there is no provision in the RBD Act which permits the use of Aadhaar for establishing the identity of an individual for the purpose of registration of birth and death. There being no law framed for such use of Aadhaar, section 57 (Aadhaar authentication) is not attracted, therefore, the requirement of Aadhaar for registration of births and deaths is not mandatory."

The Ministry further provided that an applicant may provide, on voluntary basis, the physical copy of Aadhaar number of Enrolment ID number, as one of the acceptable documents, for establishing the identity of an individual for the purpose of registration of birth and death.

While accepting the Aadhaar number, however, the registering authority shall have to ensure that the first eight digits of the Aadhaar number are masked with black ink.

The Supreme Court had laid down the provision for Aadhaar authentication, and it held that the portion of Section 57 of the Aadhaar (Targeted Delivery of Financial and Other Subsidies, Benefits and Services) Act 2016, which enables body corporate and individual to seek authentication, is "unconstitutional".