Aadhaar now mandatory for income certificates in Delhi

Income certificates issued by the Delhi government are a critical document for beneficiaries to access welfare schemes

NEW DELHI

As per the notification, individuals without an Aadhaar ID must now apply for enrolment to be eligible for benefits. (Representative photo)

Lieutenant governor VK Saxena on Tuesday approved the Delhi government’s proposal to make Aadhaar ID numbers mandatory to issue income certificates, which is crucial to avail of financial benefits from state-run welfare schemes, officials aware of the matter said. This will curb misuse of benefits and ensure subsidies reach intended beneficiaries, they said.

A senior official of the LG secretariat said that Saxena cleared the revenue department’s proposal for notifying the service of “issuance of income certificate” under Section 7 of the Aadhaar Act, 2016.

“This provision allows the state or central government to mandate Aadhaar authentication to establish the identity of individuals receiving subsidies or services funded by the Consolidated Fund of India or the State,” the official, asking not to be named, said.

The Supreme Court, while deciding the validity of the Aadhaar Act in September 2018, upheld Section 7 of the Act, which makes Aadhaar mandatory for availing of state subsidies, benefits and services. But where no services or benefits are provided by the state, the court held that Aadhaar cannot be made mandatory. However, the court held linking Aadhaar with PAN to be mandatory and valid.

As per the notification, individuals without an Aadhaar ID must now apply for enrolment to be eligible for benefits.

“Minors can produce an Aadhaar enrolment or biometric update slip along with their birth certificate or school ID card. Adults can furnish enrolment slips with valid ID documents, such as a bank passbook, PAN card, driving licence, passport, or Kisan photo passbook,” a second officer of the LG secretariat said.

Income certificates issued by the Delhi government are a critical document for beneficiaries to access welfare schemes, such as tuition fee reimbursements for SC/ST/OBC students, pensions and financial assistance under Delhi Arogya Kosh, among others.

The first official cited above said that Aadhaar-based authentication will simplify the service delivery process, reduce paperwork, and enhance transparency and efficiency.

“The revenue department noted that the use of Aadhaar would allow direct and seamless delivery of services to eligible beneficiaries and remove the need for producing multiple identity documents. The move is also in line with a circular issued by the UIDAI on November 25, 2019, authorising state governments to mandate Aadhaar authentication for schemes funded by the State’s Consolidated Fund,” the official said.

The LG also directed the revenue department to ensure wide publicity of the Aadhaar requirement so that no legitimate beneficiary is left out of government support due to a lack of awareness.