Assam Mandates NRC Application Number For Aadhaar Verification Process To Prevent Foreign Nationals From Obtaining IDs

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has announced that starting from 1 October, new Aadhaar card applicants in the state will have to submit their National Register of Citizens (NRC) application receipt number (ARN).

The Chief Minister added that a standard operating procedure (SOP) for the the verification process will be issued soon.

Sarma said that the move comes in view of a troubling trend in certain districts, where the number of Aadhaar cardholders has surpassed the population.

"Data shows that in Barpeta, 103.74 per cent of the population, in Dhubri 103.48 per cent, in Morigaon 101.76 per cent, and in Nagaon about 100.86 per cent have obtained Aadhaar cards. This raises concerns, as it suggests that suspected foreign nationals may have managed to procure the cards," Sarma said.

"From 1 October, anyone applying for an Aadhaar card will need to provide their National Register of Citizens (NRC) application number along with their application," the Chief Minister stated.

"It will not be easy to get Aadhaar in Assam and hopefully, other states will also be strict in issuing Aadhaar cards," he said.

However, Sharma clarified that the submission of the ARN will not be applicable to the 9.55 lakh people whose biometrics were locked during the NRC process.

It will also not be applicable in the tea garden areas as many have not got their Aadhaar cards due to some practical difficulties like non-availability of adequate biometric machines, the CM said.

According to Sarma, the Centre has given the right to the state governments to decide on whether an Aadhaar card can be issued to an individual or not.

''In Assam, we have decided that Aadhaar cards will be issued to new applicants only after a no-objection certificate is given by the district commissioner concerned. Such certificates will be issued after minutely examining all aspects. If the applicant has the NRC ARN, it becomes clear that he was in the state before 2014," Sarma said.

"We’ve discovered that foreign nationals use Aadhaar to acquire other documents to falsely establish their identity as Assamese. Therefore, we will make the Aadhaar verification process more stringent to deter illegal applicants," Sarma said.

The Chief Minister said his government will "intensify the process of identification of illegal foreigners as several Bangladeshis were apprehended in the last two months and handed over to the authorities of the neighbouring country".

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