Government withdraws advisory on Aadhaar photocopies, asks citizens to be cautious while sharing Aadhaar card details

• The government has withdrawn an advisory issued by the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI).
• The advisory had asked citizens to avoid sharing photocopies of their Aadhaar cards.
• The government has claimed that the Aadhaar system is robust and citizens need to exercise only normal caution.

The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has withdrawn an advisory issued by a regional office of the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI), the authority mandated to issue and manage Aadhaar cards.

In its advisory, the Bengaluru regional office had asked citizens not to share the photocopies of their Aadhaar cards with anyone, claiming that it can be misused. The authority had recommended citizens to instead use a masked Aadhaar which displays only the last 4 digits.

The MeitY has however withdrawn the advisory to avoid “misinterpretation of the press release”. In its press release, the MeitY said that the advisory issued by the regional office of UIDAI was issued after a person attempted to use a photoshopped Aadhaar card.

Government says Aadhaar system is robust

The release further asked users to exercise “normal prudence” in using and sharing their Aadhaar numbers. It further added that the Aadhaar Identity Authentication system is equipped with “adequate features for protecting and safeguarding the identity and privacy of the Aadhaar holder.”

What is masked Aadhaar?

If you are still wondering what is masked Aadhaar and how to get it, continue reading.

Masked Aadhaar is similar to normal Aadhaar cards. The only difference is that the masked Aadhaar only shows the last 4 digits of the Aadhaar number. The remaining details are the same.

How to get a masked Aadhaar?

• To begin, go to myAadhaar website.
• Now, scroll down and click on “Download Aadhaar”.
• Enter your Aadhaar number and the captcha.

You will then get a checkbox asking if you wish to get a masked Aadhaar.

• Click on the box and then enter the OTP that you have received on your number.
• Now click on “Download”.

You can open your Aadhaar using the first four alphabets of your name and your year of birth.
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