Is your Aadhaar card fake or real? Here’s how to verify it

New Delhi: Aadhaar is utilised to provide proof of identity while employing for your small business or renting to a tenant. However, there have been instances where fake documents have been provided.

The Aadhaar number is a 12-digit special number provided by the UIDAI to Indian citizens who have completed the Authority's verification process. Anyone who is a resident of India, regardless of age or gender, can freely enrol to receive an Aadhaar number. During the free enrolment procedure, a person interested in enrolling must give basic demographic and biometric information. Because the uniqueness is obtained through the process of demographic and biometric de-duplication, an individual only needs to enrol for Aadhaar once, and only one Aadhaar will be generated after de-duplication.

Aadhaar numbers can be verified online and at a low cost. It is distinctive and strong enough to prevent duplication and fake identities, and it may be used as the key identity for a variety of government assistance schemes and programmes, increasing openness and good governance in the process. This is the only initiative of its kind in the world that provides people with a free digital and online ID on such a massive scale, and it has the potential to transform the way service delivery works in the country.

Here's how to verify the genuineness of an Aadhaar card

According to the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI), the veracity of 'Aadhaar' may be easily proven both online and offline, as seen below:

Online- An Aadhaar holder's age band, gender, state, and last three digits of mobile can be confirmed by going to https://myaadhaar.uidai.gov.in/verifyAadhaar and entering their Aadhaar number.

Offline- A Secure QR code is printed on every Aadhaar card/letter/e Aadhaar, which comprises demographic information (Name, Gender, Date of Birth, and Address) as well as a photograph of the Aadhaar number bearer. Even if the Aadhaar card is tampered with by photoshopping another person’s photograph, the Information in the QR code is secure and tamper-proof as it is digitally signed by UIDAI. The "Aadhaar QR scanner" app, which is accessible on the Play Store and App Store, can read the QR code.