The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) on Thursday, Aug 2, announced that they are rolling out a new service to help Aadhaar card holders update their address easily, without the need for a valid proof of address for their location.
Set to roll out on April 1, 2019, the new service will allow people to update their address by using a letter containing a secret PIN. If a person changes his/her address and wants to update the same on their Aadhaar card, they can now send a request to the UIDAI, and the authority will send a letter to the address with a unique PIN.
The individual can then use the PIN to authenticate the change on the SSUP online portal, as per the governing body. It works in a similar fashion to how banks and credit card companies provide PIN numbers to activate credit and debit cards.
Once it goes live on April 1, 2019, the system will make it far easier to change addresses, which is a huge issue faced by people staying in rented accommodation or migrating frequently. Such people often face a lot of problems when attempting to avail Aadhaar-based services, and even struggle to get other proofs of address.
Before kicking off next April, however, a pilot programme will be initiated from January 1, 2019, to test the system and its reliability. If all goes according to plan, the government will then roll out the system for everyone in April.
Currently, if people wish to change their address on their Aadhaar card they have to fill out a form and submit any one of the 35 documents to prove their identity, as per the Aadhaar (Enrolment and Update) regulation. Accepted documents include passports, bank passbooks, voter IDs, rent agreements and driving licenses amongst others.
