Identity documents of India

Identity documents of India are increasingly used to transact and obtain government benefits in India.

While there is no single mandatory document, the following documents are used in lieu of a national identity document:[1][2]

List of Identity documents of India

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Identity documents are used for multiple purposes:

  • For domestic and international travel
  • To obtain a mobile phone SIM card
  • To apply for a passport
  • To obtain government benefits
  • In certain cases when asked to do so by law-enforcement officers

Issues

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A large number of people remain without identity documents - poor people especially. In order to include them, identity requirements for Aadhaar have been reduced, however biometric facilities have been provided to reduce or eliminated duplication, so while it may be possible to obtain the card under a false name, it is less likely to be able to obtain another Aadhaar card under a different (or real) name, though there have been cases where the biometrics has been circumvented.[citation needed][3]

There was a criticism that India has too many Identity systems, and they are not consistently accepted. As a solution, GOI introduced Aadhaar Cards in 2012, which is most widely accepted identification document in India and can be easily obtained by any person of any age group.

References

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  1. ^ "Passport Seva Application form". passportindia.gov.in. Government of India. Retrieved 22 April 2017.
  2. ^ "AADHAR Card Documents Required". Aadhaar Card uidai.gov.in. Government of India. 8 April 2016. Archived from the original on 19 May 2017. Retrieved 22 April 2017.
  3. ^ "The Dangers Of Aadhaar-Based Payments That No One Is Talking About". Bloomberg Quint. Retrieved 28 May 2017.