Aadhaar Card: New Rule Makes Child Enrollment Easier in Villages

Getting Aadhaar-related services may soon become much easier for people living in rural areas. A new initiative aims to bring Aadhaar enrollment and update facilities closer to villages, reducing the need to travel long distances for basic services. The move is expected to especially benefit families with young children.

Aadhaar Services to Reach Village Panchayats

The Panchayati Raj Department is planning to install Aadhaar enrollment and update machines in all 690 village panchayats of Agra district. Once operational, these centres will allow villagers to apply for new Aadhaar cards for children and update existing Aadhaar details without leaving their villages.

However, new Aadhaar cards will only be issued for children. Adults aged 18 years and above will not be able to apply for a fresh Aadhaar card at these village centres.

What Services Will Be Available?

The new village-level Aadhaar machines will provide several important services, including:

• New Aadhaar enrollment for children
• Address updates
• Mobile number changes
• Biometric updates
• Correction of personal details in existing Aadhaar cards

Officials believe this will save both time and travel expenses for rural residents while improving access to Aadhaar services.

Special Aadhaar Rules for Children Below 5 Years

According to UIDAI guidelines, Aadhaar issued to children below five years of age is known as Baal Aadhaar . At this stage:

• Fingerprints and iris scans are not collected.
• Only the child's photograph is taken.
• The Aadhaar is linked to the Aadhaar number of one parent.

Once the child turns five, biometric details must be updated. Another mandatory biometric update is required after the child reaches the age of 15.

Documents Required for Baal Aadhaar

Parents must keep the following documents ready while applying for a child's Aadhaar:

• Child's birth certificate
• Hospital discharge slip or school ID (if birth certificate is unavailable)
• Aadhaar card of either parent
• Mobile number linked with the parent's Aadhaar for OTP verification and future updates

Where Can You Apply?

In villages where Aadhaar enrollment machines are installed, families can complete the process directly at the village panchayat office.

If the facility is not available locally, Aadhaar enrollment for children can still be done through:

• Nearest Aadhaar Seva Kendra
• Common Service Centre (CSC)
• Post office
• Selected bank branches

In rural areas, people may also request child Aadhaar services through their local postman or by using the PostInfo app, wherever the facility is available.

Aadhaar Update Rules for Adults

People aged 18 years and above can continue updating important Aadhaar details such as their name, address, mobile number and email address at authorised Aadhaar Seva Kendras.

While several Aadhaar services are available online, biometric updates still require a physical visit to an Aadhaar centre.

As UIDAI continues expanding digital and village-level services, accessing Aadhaar facilities is expected to become faster and more convenient, especially for families living in rural India.