UIDAI issues new SOP for Aadhaar name updates, with documents required for each type of change
The Unique Identification Authority of India has laid down separate procedures and papers for each kind of name correction or change in Aadhaar.
Aadhaar identifies Indian citizens and has become a proof of identity for many purposes. Earlier, a mistake in the card could be corrected easily. That arrangement has now changed. The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) has issued a new SOP for updating names in Aadhaar.
The SOP lays out different procedures and documents for different kinds of errors and changes in a name. It is listed on the UIDAI website as the standard procedure to be followed for updating a name in Aadhaar. SOP stands for standard operating procedure, the standard rules and guiding principles fixed for completing a task. It sets out the procedure to be followed in different situations, the documents needed and the related provisions.
If a name was recorded wrongly in Aadhaar because of a data entry error, and the identity or relationship document submitted earlier carries the correct name, an affidavit must be given in Annexure-B for adults and Annexure-A for minors. The prescribed identity or relationship document must also be submitted.
For a change of surname after marriage or divorce, an affidavit is given in Annexure-D. The prescribed identity proof must be submitted with it.
Where a name has "uff" in it and one initial has to be replaced with another, an affidavit is given in Annexure-E for adults and Annexure-F for minors. The prescribed identity proof or relationship documents must be submitted with it.
If the name or identity of an adult is being changed, a Gazette notification may be required under the prescribed procedure. According to UIDAI's current information, a Gazette notification and an identity proof carrying the old name are mandatory to change the first name or the full name.
The SOP also provides for removing a post, rank or title such as Dr., Colonel, Shri or Shrimati from a name. In such cases the process will be completed on the basis of the prescribed identity proofs.
People updating their names must use the documents and related annexures prescribed for their category. Applications should not be submitted with old affidavits. Under the current UIDAI arrangement, a visit to an Aadhaar centre is mandatory to update a name. Generally, a name can be updated twice. Further changes will follow the Gazette notification and the prescribed exception process.
