Aadhar advisory

The central government has withdrawn with immediate effect its recent advisory that warned citizens not to share photocopies of their Aadhaar cards with any organization as they can be misused.
It included:
- The notification asked citizens to use a masked Aadhaar which displays only the last 4 digits of the Aadhaar number and can be downloaded from UIDAI’s official website.
- The government also suggested citizens avoid using a public computer at an internet cafe or kiosk to download their e-Aadhaar. However if one still needs to do so, they must ensure to delete all the downloaded copies of e-Aadhaar permanently from that computer.
- Only those organizations that have obtained a User License from the UIDAI can use Aadhaar for establishing the identity of a person. Unlicensed private entities like hotels or film halls are not permitted to collect or keep copies of Aadhaar card. It is an offence under the Aadhaar Act 2016.