Applicants above 18 will no longer receive Aadhaar through the routine enrolment process, while SC, ST and Tea Garden communities get relaxation until March 2027
Guwahati: The Assam Cabinet has approved a major change to the Aadhaar enrolment process, making state-level verification mandatory for applicants above 18 years of age in an effort to strengthen identity checks and prevent misuse of the system.
Announcing the decision, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said adult Aadhaar applications will no longer be processed automatically through the existing enrolment mechanism. Instead, every applicant above 18 will undergo enhanced scrutiny before receiving approval.
Under the new framework, Deputy Commissioners will examine such applications and submit recommendations to the state government, which will take the final call on enrolment. “No Aadhaar card will be issued automatically to applicants above 18 years of age. Every case will be subject to verification and approval,” the Chief Minister said.
The Chief Minister stated that the move aims to plug loopholes in the enrolment process and prevent illegal immigrants, particularly from Bangladesh, from obtaining Aadhaar cards through fraudulent means. However, Aadhaar enrolment for individuals below 18 years will continue under the existing system without additional restrictions.
The Cabinet has also granted a special relaxation to Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST) and Tea Garden community members, allowing them to continue enrolling for Aadhaar until March 2027.
The Chief Minister further stated the decision followed concerns over unusually high Aadhaar coverage in some districts, where enrolment figures have reportedly exceeded estimated population levels.
The government maintains that the revised mechanism will strengthen verification procedures while ensuring that genuine Indian citizens are not denied access to Aadhaar.
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