Aadhar Card not a valid birth proof document for Passport applicants! This is what you can use instead

In Hyderabad, many passport applicants continue to submit Aadhaar details as proof of birth, despite a Supreme Court ruling that disallows this practice.

This oversight is causing significant delays in passport processing, with applicants losing up to ten days even after rescheduling appointments and re-submitting the required documents, according to Etv. As a result, the wait time for obtaining passports has been extended.

On October 24, 2024, the Supreme Court ruled that Aadhaar details cannot be accepted as proof of birth, highlighting other documents.

A panel of judges, Sanjay Karol and Ujjal Bhuyan, stated that if there are trustworthy documents proving a person's age, those should be taken into account. They upheld the decision of the Motor Accident Claims Tribunal (MACT) to use a School Leaving Certificate to determine age because there was a discrepancy in the date of birth between the two documents.

This decision has raised questions about the role of Aadhaar, which the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) refers to as a "universal identity infrastructure."

Documentation guidelines for applicants

To avoid delays in the passport application process, applicants must provide proper documentation.

For proof of residence, acceptable documents include:

- Utility bills (electricity, telephone, or postpaid mobile)

- Income tax assessment orders

- Election Commission photo ID cards

- Gas connection proof

- Address certificates from reputable employers

- Spouse's passport (if applicable)

- Parents' passports for minors (first and last pages)

- Aadhaar card

- Rent agreement

- Bank passbooks showing cash transactions

For proof of birth, applicants can submit any one of the following documents:

- Certificate from the Registrar of Births and Deaths or Municipal Corporation

- Class 10 certificate (mark sheet)

- Policy bonds from government life insurance companies

- Service records for government employees or attested pay/pension orders for retirees

- Election photo identity card

- PAN card with date of birth

- Driving license issued by the Transport Department

- Declaration from the head of an institution for children in orphanages or childcare homes (on official letterhead)

For Tatkal applications, three certificates are required, while regular applications necessitate two. By ensuring that all necessary documents are verified and submitted according to the guidelines, applicants can avoid unnecessary delays and streamline the passport application process.