No move to replace Aadhaar details with QR code, government clarifies
Some media reports had claimed that the government was planning to redesign the Aadhaar card to display only a photograph and a QR code
The Central Government on Sunday clarified that there was no proposal to change the existing Aadhaar card format to one featuring only a photograph and QR code, as suggested in some recent media reports and social media posts.
Reports circulating online claiming that Aadhaar’s design may be revised by the end of the year are “not correct” and have no official basis. The government stated that said, “Such news reports and social media posts are creating unwanted confusion in the minds of the people”.
Notably, some media reports had claimed that the government was planning to redesign the Aadhaar card to display only a photograph and a QR code, with personal details such as the Aadhaar number, address, date of birth and gender no longer being printed on it.
The statement said that it has been advised that people should not rely on unverified reports or social media posts regarding Aadhaar. Instead, they should refer only to official communications issued by the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) through its verified social media handles and press releases from the Press Information Bureau (PIB).
The government has also urged the media to exercise caution and avoid amplifying unverified information.
Aadhaar is the world’s largest biometric identity system maintained by the UIDAI with approximately 134 crore live Aadhaar holders. It has completed more than 17,000 crore authentication transactions.
The Aadhaar ecosystem is designed to protect privacy, with demographic data remaining encrypted both at rest and in transit. The Aadhaar Act also imposes restrictions on the collection, retention, access, and use of Aadhaar data.
Early this year, the government dedicated the new Aadhaar app to the nation, marking a significant milestone in identity verification keeping people at its core.
