Starting October 1, death certificates will need to have the person's Aadhaar number "for the purpose of establishing the identity of the deceased." This comes as more than 1.16 billion people, and nearly every adult, has been enrolled in Aadhaar, the subject of a vigorous debate on privacy. The Registrar General of India (RGI) has sent a notification regarding the death certification to all states apart from Assam, Jammu and Kashmir and Meghalaya.
Top officials said the step has been taken to avoid benefits or subsidies being claimed in the name of dead people. More than 300 schemes involving a subsidy or a benefit have been linked to Aadhaar with nearly Rs 6,600 crore being paid out every month through direct benefit transfers (DBT). Currently, any identity proof of the deceased can be furnished while applying for a death certificate.
"The use of Aadhaar for the applicants of death certificate will result in ensuring accuracy of the details provided by the relatives/dependents of the deceased," said the notification issued by the government Friday. "It will provide an effective method to prevent identity fraud. It will also help in recording the identity of the deceased person. Further, it will obviate the need for producing multiple documents to prove the identity of the deceased person."
Top officials said the step has been taken to avoid benefits or subsidies being claimed in the name of dead people. More than 300 schemes involving a subsidy or a benefit have been linked to Aadhaar with nearly Rs 6,600 crore being paid out every month through direct benefit transfers (DBT). Currently, any identity proof of the deceased can be furnished while applying for a death certificate.
"The use of Aadhaar for the applicants of death certificate will result in ensuring accuracy of the details provided by the relatives/dependents of the deceased," said the notification issued by the government Friday. "It will provide an effective method to prevent identity fraud. It will also help in recording the identity of the deceased person. Further, it will obviate the need for producing multiple documents to prove the identity of the deceased person."
If the deceased's family is not aware of the Aadhaar number of the deceased, a certificate has to be furnished by the applicant that this is the case "to the best of his/her knowledge." Officials said this will allay any concerns about death certificates not being given if there's no Aadhaar. False declarations will be treated as offences under the Aadhaar Act and the Registration of Birth and Death Act. "Of course, any false declaration to conceal Aadhaar number would mean attempt towards a fraud and will be acted against as per law," an official said. The person applying for the death certificate for a family member would have to furnish his or her own Aadhaar ID as well as that of the deceased. Government sources also said that in the US the social security number has to be furnished for a death certificate.
"Here too, furnishing an Aadhaar number is for benefit of the deceased's family to avoid any disputes. All bank accounts are being linked to Aadhaar — in this event, furnishing the deceased's Aadhaar would enable the bank to close the account of the correct person who passed away and the legal heirs can claim the amount," a source said.
The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) has been running a campaign for the last six months to enrol seniors in Aadhaar, with teams even being sent to their homes. UIDAI had appealed to all states last year to enrol newborns in hospital itself so that the information is entered into government records when the birth certificate is given.
"Nearly every adult in the country has an Aadhaar right now — out of 82.89 crore adults in India, 82.75 crore have an Aadhaar as on date. The rest without an Aadhaar are mainly in Assam and Meghalaya where a separate National Population Register (NPR) exercise is on rather than Aadhaar," a top official said, explaining why the notification should not lead to any disruption.
"Even if any adult or senior citizen does not have an Aadhaar, he can enrol for the same by September 30. UIDAI will help them immediately."
The birth and death registration departments in the states are responsible for issuing certificates and have been directed to ensure compliance from October 1and send a confirmation to the Centre by September 1. Jammu and Kashmir, Assam and Meghalaya have been exempted from this step for now.
"Nearly every adult in the country has an Aadhaar right now — out of 82.89 crore adults in India, 82.75 crore have an Aadhaar as on date. The rest without an Aadhaar are mainly in Assam and Meghalaya where a separate National Population Register (NPR) exercise is on rather than Aadhaar," a top official said, explaining why the notification should not lead to any disruption.
"Even if any adult or senior citizen does not have an Aadhaar, he can enrol for the same by September 30. UIDAI will help them immediately."
The birth and death registration departments in the states are responsible for issuing certificates and have been directed to ensure compliance from October 1and send a confirmation to the Centre by September 1. Jammu and Kashmir, Assam and Meghalaya have been exempted from this step for now.
Source:-The Economic Times
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