Aadhaar number does not confer citizenship or domicile rights

It aims to facilitate access to government benefits and services by providing a standardized method for verifying identity through biometric and demographic data.

Who it concerns: The Bill applies to all residents of India (excluding Jammu and Kashmir) who are entitled to obtain an Aadhaar number, as well as other categories of individuals notified by the Central Government. It also applies to the National Identification Authority of India, enrolling agencies, and any person or company involved in the issuance, authentication, or handling of Aadhaar data, including those committing offences outside India.

What the bill does

• Establishment of the National Identification Authority of India as a body corporate with a Chairperson and two part-time Members.
• Issuance of a random, non-reassignable Aadhaar number to residents upon verification of demographic and biometric information.
• Creation of a Central Identities Data Repository to store all Aadhaar numbers and associated data.
• Prohibition on requiring information regarding race, religion, caste, tribe, ethnicity, language, income, or health.
• Mandate for special measures to issue Aadhaar numbers to women, children, senior citizens, persons with disabilities, and migrant workers.
• Establishment of an Identification Review Committee to review matters related to the Authority.
• Provisions for security and confidentiality of information, including restrictions on disclosure and access to one's own records.
• Penalties for offences such as impersonation, unauthorized access to the data repository, tampering with data, and manipulation of biometric information.

Also in the document

• The Bill explicitly states that an Aadhaar number or its authentication does not confer rights of citizenship or domicile.
• The law applies to offences committed outside India by any person.
• The Bill provides for the transfer of assets and liabilities from the previous Unique Identification Authority of India to the new Authority.
• Members and officers of the Authority are designated as public servants.