Aadhaar no longer valid as date of birth proof for EPFO! Here’s what the new UIDAI Directive for EPFO says

financialexpress.com:

The Employees’ Provident Fund Organization (EPFO), under the Ministry of Labour & Employment, Government of India, issued a significant circular (No: WSU/2024/1/UIDAI Matter/4090) on January 16, 2024. The circular announced the removal of Aadhaar from the list of acceptable documents as proof of date of birth (DoB). This decision followed a directive from the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) as detailed in Circular No. 08 of 2023.

Here’s a detailed analysis of the circular to understand:

1. UIDAI’s Directive (Circular No. 08 of 2023): The UIDAI observed that Aadhaar was being considered as proof of DoB by various entities. Aadhaar, while a unique identifier, was not recognized as proof of date of birth according to the Aadhaar Act, 2016. The UIDAI emphasized that Aadhaar provided identity verification, not proof of birth.

2. EPFO Circular and Implementation: EPFO’s circular, in response to UIDAI’s directive, removed Aadhaar from the list of acceptable documents for correcting the date of birth. The circular highlighted that Aadhaar’s removal pertained to Table-B of Annexure-1 of the Joint Declaration SOP issued earlier. The decision was made with the approval of the Central Provident Fund Commissioner (CPFC).

3. Legal Implications and UIDAI’s Clarifications: UIDAI’s circular referred to the Aadhaar Act, 2016, and regulations governing the enrolment and update processes. The office memorandum of December 20, 2018, explicitly stated that Aadhaar was not proof of date of birth. Recent judgments, including the one by the Bombay High Court, reinforced that Aadhaar could not be considered as proof of birth.

4. Communication to AUAs/KUAs: UIDAI’s directive was communicated to all Authentication User Agencies