Not in NRC List, Biometrics Frozen – How Do I Get Aadhaar Card?

Video Editor: Sandeep Suman
Video Producer: Aastha Gulati
Illustration: Aroop Mishra

I am a 27-year-old from Dispur, Assam. I was born and have lived most of my life here. My father served in the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) for 35 years. My family – father, mother, 3 siblings, and I – did not find its name in the National Register of Citizens published in 2019.

Luckily, my parents and younger sister had applied for an Aadhaar card before the NRC process had begun. The process has been painful for my two sisters, brother and me. I have applied five times till date, only to face rejection each time. The reason cited was an issue with my biometric details. It was only on the fifth try that I learnt that this was because my name was not in the NRC.

Job at Risk

Four times I was told by Aadhaar officials that my application had been rejected due to some error in scanning documents, or a problem with my biometric details. I sent a mail to the Aadhaar authorities and then tweeted to them about my case after the lockdown, when my application was rejected for the fifth time. They told me to visit the regional office in Guwahati, where the worst was confirmed – my biometric details had been locked because my name was not in the first two NRC lists.

Now the problem is my employer has asked me to provide my Aadhaar details to link my Provident Fund account. They have given me an ultimatum to submit it. Everyone knows that today, an Aadhaar card is compulsory. Without it, I may lose my job.

I am married and have a four-year-old son. If I lose my job because I don’t have an Aadhaar card, who will be responsible? 

There are many aggrieved individuals like me who have been tweeting about the problems in getting their Aadhaar card as biometric details have been locked/frozen for those excluded from the NRC.

The Assam government had earlier written to the Centre to unlock these biometric details, but there has been no update on that yet. Moreover, nowhere does it mention on the UIDAI website that one needs to be included in the NRC in order to apply for an Aadhaar card.

From birth certificate or voter ID card, I have all documents to prove my citizenship. When my father, mother, and sister can have an Aadhaar card, why can’t I?

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