Aadhaar mandatory for death certificates

The government has made Aadhaar numbers mandatory for issuing death certificates to residents of all States, barring Jammu & Kashmir, Meghalaya and Assam, with effect from October 1, 2017.

If the person applying for the death certificate is not aware of the Aadhaar number or Aadhaar enrolment ID Number (EID) of the deceased, they would be required to provide a certificate that the deceased person does not possess Aadhaar number to the best of her or his knowledge, the home ministry said in a statement.

However, any false declaration given by the applicant in this regard will be treated as an offence as per the provisions of the Aadhaar Act, 2016 and also Registration of Birth and Death Act, 1969, the home ministry has warned.

“Applicant’s Aadhaar number shall also be collected along with the Aadhaar number of the spouse or parents,” the ministry said, citing a notification issued by the Registrar General of India (RGI) that is entrusted with conducting the country’s census and maintaining the register of births and deaths.

“In a notification issued today the RGI, Ministry of Home Affairs has said the use of Aadhaar for the applicants of Death Certificate will result in ensuring accuracy of the details provided by the relatives/ dependents / acquaintances of the deceased. It will provide an effective method to prevent identity fraud. It will also help in recording the identity of the deceased person,” the statement said.