Aadhaar Card is no doubt a revolutionary concept, a game-changing innovation which is benefitting millions of Indians in securing their identities, helping them to avail social welfare schemes and more.
However, due to the callous attitude of some Govt. babus, who are hell-bent on following the ‘rules’, there have been few mishaps as well – This year, a woman in Jharkhand died of starvation, as she didn’t have Aadhaar card.
More recently, a pregnant woman was denied healthcare services because she didn’t have Aadhaar.
Noting these developments, Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI), the central nodal authority on issuing Aadhaar cards have issued a statement, clarifying that lack of Aadhaar cannot be the reason to deny essential services to anyone.
State Govts and various departments have been strictly ordered to implement this.
UIDAI: Essential Services Are More Important Than Aadhaar
In a statement, UIDAI has ordered all Govt. departments to provide essential services, even if the person has no Aadhaar.
Mentioning three essential services: Health, Education and Food, UIDAI said that lack of Aadhaar card should not be the reason to deny services.
UIDAI has ordered all Govt. departments “to ensure that no essential service or benefit shall be denied to a genuine beneficiary for the want of Aadhaar whether it is medical help, hospitalisation, school admission or ration through PDS”.
After the Jharkhand incident, Cabinet Secretariat had issued an order on this, but now, after UIDAI’s order, it will be implemented as well.
UIDAI has said that the purpose of Aadhaar is to bring more transparency in the system, not to kill people.
UIDAI said,
“While real facts behind such claims of denial are being investigated by the concerned agencies and strict action will be taken in case denial has occurred..”
Besides, UIDAI has also said that Section 7 of Aadhaar Act 2016 has been updated with a provision for ‘no exclusion – no denials’.
In case any such denial has happened in the past, a proper investigation would be done. UIDAI said,
“Such violations are punishable under respective laws of the land. Under no circumstance, anyone can be denied a service just because he/she doesn’t have an Aadhaar,”
Aadhaar To Be Age Proof, Address Proof For Driving Licenses
Meanwhile, UIDAI has made required provisions in the law to enable Aadhaar to be used as address and age proof while applying for the driving license.
In order to make this possible, a draft regulation of a new law under Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989 has been sent to the Law Ministry for approval.
Law and IT Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said,
“As per information received from Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, Aadhaar card has been incorporated as one of the options in the list of documents to be submitted by the applicant as proof of address and age,”
Besides, the Minister made it clear that in case the person doesn’t have Aadhaar, alternative documents can also work.