To prevent the misuse of the Aadhaar card, the Central Government has issued an advisory asking citizens to share only a masked version of their Aadhaar cards with the organisation that asks them for identification.
The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) issued an advisory on May 27, according to which the ministry has warned cardholders not to share a photocopy of their Aadhar card and instead use a masked version that only displays the last four digits of their card number.
“Do not share the photocopy of your Aadhaar card with any organisation as it can be misused. Alternatively, please use a masked Aadhaar which only displays the last 4-digits of your Aadhaar number,” a statement from the press release read.
It further mentions that a masked version of Aadhaar card can be downloaded from the official site of the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI).
Notably, it was stated that Aadhaar can be used to establish a person’s identity only by organisations that have secured a user license from the UIDAI. According to the press release, private entities including hotels and movie theatres are not allowed to collect and store copies of Aadhaar cards.
“Unlicensed private entities like hotels or film halls are not permitted to collect or keep copies of Aadhaar cards. It is an offence under the Aadhaar Act 2016. If a private entity demands to see your Aadhaar card or seeks a photocopy of your Aadhaar card, please verify that they have a valid User License from the UIDAI,” a statement from the press release read.
It also warned people to avoid public computers at internet cafes to download an electronic version of Aadhaar. “Please avoid using a public computer at an internet cafe/kiosk to download e-Aadhaar. However, if you do so, please ensure that you delete all the downloaded copies of e-Aadhaar permanently from the computer,” the statement read.
How to download a masked Aadhaar card?
It is significant to mention that a masked Aadhaar card will only display the last four digits of the Aadhaar number, hiding the first 12 digits and can easily be downloaded from the official site of UIDAI. To download a masked Aadhaar card, follow the below steps.
- Go to the official site of UIDAI: https://myaadhaar.uidai.gov.in/
- Then login with your Aadhaar number.
- Then click on the option ‘Do you want a masked Aadhaar’
- Click on the download tab and get a copy of the masked Aadhaar card with only the last 4-digits of the Aadhaar number.
