Aadhaar Services Offered By UIDAI – How To Verify Aadhaar Number
The UIDAI (Unique Identification Authority of India) provides a range of both offline and online Aadhaar services so that any Indian can enroll for Aadhaar or update their details. It is responsible for issuing Aadhaar cards, providing a platform for easy authentication, operation, and management of all stages of the Aadhaar life cycle. Know the Aadhaar Services offered by UIDAI.
Background of UIDAI
UIDAI is a Central Government authority established by MeitY (Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology) under the Aadhaar Act 2016. This statutory authority was created to issue UID (Unique Identification Numbers), later called Aadhaar to all Indian residents.
It was launched to assign a unique identity to every individual and provide an online platform on which individuals can verify their unique identities. This system stores biometric information, such as fingerprints, iris scans, etc. It was designed to be robust enough to eliminate fake or duplicate identities while offering an easy way to verify and authenticate identities electronically.
UIDAI started out as a project in 2006 approved by the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology and the Department of Information Technology for identifying BPL families. The concept of Aadhaar gained popularity in 2012 due to the PM’s call for an Aadhaar-linked benefit scheme.
In 2015, the Supreme Court laid out the characteristics of Aadhaar and made it compulsory to use Aadhaar for multiple purposes such as kerosene, PDS and LPG distribution. The Lok Sabha passed the Aadhaar Act on March 11 2016, which established UIDAI as a statutory body. Today, the Aadhaar card is used nationwide as an identification document, with UIDAI having issued 131.68 crore Aadhaar numbers as of October 31 2021.
Aadhaar Services Offered by UIDAI
The following are the various online Aadhaar services available for individuals and service providers:
1. Verify Aadhaar number
This facility allows Aadhaar number holders and service providers to verify if a particular Aadhaar number is valid or not. The Aadhaar number does not need to have a registered mobile number linked for verification purposes.
2. Lock/unlock biometrics
UIDAI allows Aadhaar number holders to lock their biometric information, which prevents anyone from misusing it for authentication. You can unlock it temporarily when you need to use biometric authentication for transactions.
3. Check Aadhaar authentication history
This allows you to view details of any Aadhaar authentication that you have done previously. You can check up to 50 authentication transactions.
4. Verification of email or mobile number
UIDAI allows service providers and individuals to verify the validity of their registered mobile number and email address. Registering a mobile number is necessary to access online Aadhaar services and Aadhaar-linked benefits.
5. Checking Aadhaar and bank account linking
You can use this service to check if your Aadhaar number is linked with your bank account. UIDAI fetches information from the NPCI server to display this information and is not responsible for its correctness.
6. Virtual ID generator
Virtual ID is a 16-digit provisional and random number generated on UIDAI’s website. You can use this VID in place of your Aadhaar number for authentication or eKYC services.
7. Offline Aadhaar verification
This lets you download an Aadhaar data file in XML format. You can use this secure and shareable document for offline verification.
8. Retrieve Aadhaar number
If you have forgotten your Aadhaar number, you can use this service to retrieve it using your registered mobile number.
How can You Verify an Aadhaar Number?
Follow the given steps to verify your Aadhaar number:
- Step 1: Go to UIDAI’s official website, navigate to My Aadhaar and click on ‘Verify Aadhaar Number’.
- Step 2: On the new page, enter your 12-digit Aadhaar number.
- Step 3: Type the CAPTCHA code as shown in the given picture.
- Step 4: Click on ‘Proceed to Verify’ to know if this Aadhaar number is valid or not. If it exists, it will display details, such as your age, gender, state of issuance and part of your mobile number.
How to Verify Your Registered Mobile Number/Email?
- Step 1: Visit the official website of UIDAI; select ‘Aadhaar Services’ which you can find under ‘My Aadhaar’.
- Step 2: Click on ‘Verify Email/Mobile Number’.
- Step 3: Fill in your Aadhaar number and email address or mobile number under ‘Contact Details’.
- Step 4: Enter the CAPTCHA code and click on ‘Send OTP’.
- Step 5: Finally, enter the OTP received on your email/mobile number to complete the process.
Procedure for Locking/Unlocking Biometrics
To temporarily lock/unlock your biometric information in Aadhaar, follow these steps:
- Step 1: On UIDAI’s homepage, navigate to ‘My Aadhaar’, followed by ‘Aadhaar Services’ and tap on ‘Lock/Unlock Biometrics’.
- Step 2: Select the checkbox to provide consent for biometric lock and click on ‘Lock/Unlock Biometrics’.
- Step 3: Type your Aadhaar number, and CAPTCHA code and click on ‘Send OTP’.
- Step 4: Enter the OTP received on your registered mobile number and log in to lock biometrics.
- Step 5: You will need to re-login to unlock your biometrics. You can also click on the disable option to remove the lock permanently.
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Final Word
UIDAI is a government body responsible for all Aadhaar-related services, including enrolment, verification, updates, corrections etc. You can avail of all online Aadhaar services on its official website, such as searching for the nearest enrolment centre, downloading an e-Aadhaar card, checking Aadhaar status etc. In addition, you can verify your Aadhaar number, view authentication history, lock/unlock biometrics and more.
FAQs
Ans: Follow the given steps to check if your bank account is linked with Aadhaar:
1. On UIDAI’s homepage, go to ‘My Aadhaar’ and then select Aadhaar Services. Click on the option allowing you to check Aadhaar and bank account linking status.
2. Enter your Aadhaar number, then the CAPTCHA code to receive an OTP.
3. Enter this OTP to get details of linked bank accounts.
Ans: Follow the given steps to generate VID on UDAI’s official website:
1. Navigate to ‘My Aadhaar’ on UIDAI’s homepage and click on ‘Virtual ID Generator’.
2. Enter your Aadhaar number, and CAPTCHA code, and click on ‘Send OTP’.
3. Type in the OTP and click on either ‘Generate VID’ or ‘Retrieve VID’ to get a 16-digit VID.
Ans: Currently, people can only update their addresses through UIDAI’s Self Service Update Portal (SSUP). To update demographic details (name, DOB, gender, email, mobile number) or biometric details (photograph, iris scans and fingerprints), you have to visit a permanent enrolment centre.
Ans: No, you cannot apply for an Aadhaar card outside India as you need to visit an enrolment centre located in India. You need to be present here to provide biometric details. In addition, you need to have a residential address in India to be eligible for an Aadhaar card.
Ans: To get OTP for biometric lock/unlock, you need to send the SMS — GETOTP followed by the last 4 or 8 digits of your Aadhaar number. Then you need to send LOCKUID followed by the last 4 or 8 digits of your Aadhaar number. To send an unlock request, you need to send the SMS — UNLOCKUID followed by the last 6 to 10 digits of your Aadhaar number. Note that you must send all the messages to 1947.
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This article has been prepared on the basis of internal data, publicly available information and other sources believed to be reliable. The information contained in this article is for general purposes only and not a complete disclosure of every material fact. It should not be construed as investment advice to any party. The article does not warrant the completeness or accuracy of the information, and disclaims all liabilities, losses and damages arising out of the use of this information. Readers shall be fully liable/responsible for any decision taken on the basis of this article.
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