Your PAN card will be invalid if not linked to Aadhaar

 

As you must be aware by now that your Aadhaar card is mandatory for filing income-tax returns from July 1. But now, your Aadhaar will have to be linked to Permanent Account Number or else your PAN will be invalid after December 31.

According to the amendments to the Finance Bill, taxpayers will be required to link their PAN cards with Aadhaar numbers. And for those who have not linked their PAN cards to Aadhaar numbers before the deadline will be deemed invalid. All the taxpayers have been told to have a PAN number to file income tax returns and for those who do not come under the tax slab also use the PAN card as the proof of identity.

[ Steps To Link Aadhaar Number to Your PAN and File Income Tax Returns (ITR) ]

Over the past few years, the Centre has linked Aadhaar to a growing list of subsidies and schemes. Recently, the ministry of human resource development had announced that the midday meal would no longer be free for those children without an Aadhaar card. However, the government currently has no proposal to link Aadhaar numbers with railway passes.

With Aadhaar card connected to the PAN card, and effectively with bank accounts, the government will be now able to track the income and expenditures of millions of Indians each time there is a transaction that involves a bank account.

Earlier, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said that Aadhaar may become the only identity card in future replacing all other types of identity cards such as Voter ID and PAN, while making it mandatory for filing of Income Tax returns in order to curb tax evasion and frauds.

OneIndia News

source: oneindia.com

Dailyhunt

आधार जोडणी न केल्यास डिसेंबरनंतर पॅन क्रमांक होणार अवैध?

नवी दिल्ली : येत्या ३१ डिसेंबरनंतर पॅन कार्ड क्रमांकास आधार क्रमांक जोडणे बंधनकारक करण्याचा विचार केंद्र सरकार करीत आहे. या जोडणी अभावी तुमचा पॅन क्रमांकच अवैध ठरू शकतो. आधार विस्तार व्यापक करण्यासाठी केंद्र सरकार हे पाऊल उचलत आहे.

सूत्रांनी सांगितले की, सध्या सर्व करदात्यांना तसेच प्राप्तीकर विवरणपत्र दाखल करणाऱ्यांना पॅन क्रमांक बंधनकारक आहे. ओळखीचा पुरावा म्हणूनही अनेक जणांकडून पॅनकार्डचा वापर केला जातो.

तथापि, सरकारच्या म्हणण्यानुसार, अनेक पॅन कार्डे खोटी व बोगस माहिती देऊन मिळविण्यात आली आहेत. आधार कार्ड जोडणी केल्यास बनावट पॅन क्रमांक आपोआप रद्द होतील. डिसेंबरनंतर ती अवैध ठरविण्याचा सरकारचा विचार आहे.

एका वरिष्ठ अधिकाऱ्याने नाव न छापण्याच्या अटीवर सांगितले की, पॅनला आधारशी जोडण्यासाठी सरकारने ३१ डिसेंबर ही तात्पुरती अंतिम तारीख ठरविली आहे. या वर्ष अखेरपर्यंत आधार नोंदणी पूर्ण होण्याची शक्यता आहे. त्यामुळे ही तारीख ठरविण्यात आली आहे. सूत्रांनी सांगितले की, आजघडीला १.0८ अब्ज भारतीयांनी आधार नोंदणी केली आहे.

स्टेंट बँक आॅफ इंडियाचे मुख्य समूह आर्थिक सल्लागार सौम्य कांती घोष यांनी सांगितले की, ९८ टक्के प्रौढ नागरिकांकडे आधार कार्ड असल्याचा अंदाज आहे. त्यामुळे या वर्ष अखेरची मुदत व्यवहार्य ठरते.

लोकमत न्यूज नेटवर्क

रोख व्यवहारांवर २ लाखांची मर्यादा

नवी दिल्ली : केंद्रीय वित्तमंत्री अरुण जेटली यांनी १ फेब्रुवारी रोजी सादर केलेल्या मूळ अर्थसंकल्पातील तरतुदीत सुधारणा करून रोखीच्या व्यवहारांवर तीन लाखांऐवजी दोन लाख रुपयांची कमाल मर्यादा घालण्याचा नवा प्रस्ताव सरकारने लोकसभेत मांडला आहे.

अर्थसंकल्पासोबत मांडलेल्या मूळ वित्त विधेयकात निरनिराळ्या प्रकारच्या तब्बल ४० दुरुस्त्या प्रस्तावित करणारे विधेयक जेटली यांनी मंगळवारी लोकसभेत मांडले. विरोधकांनी अशा प्रकारे विविध दुरुस्त्यांची मोट बांधून एकच सुधारणा विधेयक मांडणयास विरोध केला. मात्र, लोकसभा अध्यक्ष सुमित्रा महाजन यांनी विरोधकांनी उपस्थित केलेले तांत्रिक आक्षेप अमान्य केले आणि वित्तमंत्र्यांनी सुधारित वित्त विधेयक मांडण्यास अनुमती दिली.

या ४० दुरुस्त्यांपैकी एक दुरुस्ती रोखीच्या व्यवहारांवर कमाल मर्यादा घालण्याशी संबंधित आहे. मूळ वित्त विधेयकात ही मर्यादा तीन लाख रुपयांची प्रस्तावित करण्यात आली होती. आता ही दोन लाख रुपयांची करण्याचे प्रस्तावित आहे. या सुधारित मर्यादेचा भंग करून जेवढ्या जास्त रकमेचा रोखीचा व्यवहार केला जाईल, तेवढाच दंड आकारण्याची तरतूद यात आहे, असे महसूल सचिव हसमुख अढिया यांनी टिष्ट्वट करून स्पष्ट केले.

हे सुधारित वित्त विधेयक संसदेत मंजूर झाल्यावर, रोखीच्या व्यवहारांवरील दोन लाख रुपयांची कमाल मर्यादा येत्या १ एप्रिलपासून लागू होईल.

या ४० दुरुस्त्यांमध्ये कंपनी कायदा, कर्मचारी भविष्य निर्वाह निधी कायदा, परकीय चलन नियमन कायदा, 'ट्राय' कायदा व माहिती तंत्रज्ञान कायदा अशा विविध कायद्यांमध्येही काही सुधारणा करण्याची तरतूद आहे. याचा वित्त विधेयकाशी काही संबंध नाही. या दुरुस्त्याही वित्त विधेयकात घुसडून सरकार त्या 'मनी बिल' म्हणून मागच्या दरवाज्याने मंजूर करून घेऊ पाहात आहे, असा आक्षेप तृणमूल काँग्रेस, बिजू जनता दल व क्रांतिकारी समाजवादी पक्ष यासारख्या विरोधी पक्षांच्या सदस्यांनी घेतला. (लोकमत न्यूज नेटवर्क)

Aadhaar must to file I-T returns and apply for PAN card; cap on cash transaction lowered to Rs 2 lakh

The government decided on Tuesday tofrom Rs 3 lakh to Rs 2 lakh, and make Aadhaar number mandatory for filing income tax returns and applying for a PAN card.

The decisions were part of amendments moved to the finance bill, which puts into effect the Budget proposals.

The had proposed cash transactions of more than Rs 3 lakh value be banned but the finance bill tabled on Tuesday lowers the ceiling, said revenue secretary, Hasmukh Adhia.

"The difference between demonetisation and this is that the former is used to destroy the stock of black money while the ban will prevent the future flow of black money.

This limit will also reduce the quantum of cash transactions in the economy" Adhia had told HT.

To ensure a deterrent, the penalty for violation is equivalent to the amount transacted.

The amendments also make Aadhaar must for tax returns and PAN applications beginning July 1. Aadhaar enrolment number while filing ITR could also be accepted. Failing to declare Aadhaar may lead to PAN being deemed invalid.

The move is likely to roil activists who say the Aadhaar programme - the enrolment to a national database with biometric information such as fingerprints and iris scans - is meant to be voluntary, as declared by the SC in September last year.

"Aadhaar has been optional for ITR for a few years. The challenge will be for foreign nationals who pay taxes in India. We will have to see the amendment to understand its implications," said Kuldip Kumar, leader, personal tax at PwC India. The amendment, however, says the government will specify exemptions for mandatory Aadhaar rule.

The finance bill carries an unprecedented 40 amendments, according to PTI, and will also impact other laws such as RBI act and representation of people act. Political parties hit out at the tweaks, saying they were being done as 'backdoor entry'.

The finance bill is classified as a money bill, which does not require bicameral approval and can be approved by the Lok Sabha alone where Prime Minister Narendra Modi's BJP has a majority.

The limit on cash transactions is in keeping with recommendations of the Special Investigation Team (SIT) on black money.

In addition to this limit, the Income Tax Act prohibits making or accepting payment of an advance of Rs 20,000 or more in cash for purchase of immovable property. PAN is also mandatory for any purchase of above Rs 1 lakh.

आता आधार पे अॅपने करा कॅशलेश व्यवहार

नवी दिल्ली, दि. 8 - सध्या देशभरात डिजिटल व्यवहार करण्यावर भर दिला जात आहे. भ्रष्टाचाराला आळा बसावा म्हणून सर्वत्र डिजिटल व्यवहार करण्याचे आवाहन करत केंद्र सरकारने 'आधार पे अॅप'साठी पुढाकार घेतला. या पार्श्वभूमीवर, खासगी बँकींग क्षेत्रातील IDFC बँकेने पहिलं 'आधार पे अॅप' लाँच केलं आहे. 'आधार पे अॅप'द्वारे ज्यांच्याकडे स्मार्टफोन देखील नाही, अशा व्यक्तीही कॅशलेस व्यवहार करू शकतात, हे या अॅपचे वैशिष्ट्य आहे.

जाणूया घेऊन 'आधार पे अॅप'ची वैशिष्ट्ये

क्रेडिट कार्ड/डेबिट कार्ड शुल्कापासून सुटका

आधार पे स्मार्टफोन पेमेंट अॅपचा सर्वांत मोठा फायदा म्हणजे व्यापारी सवलत दर (Merchant Discount Rate) द्यावा लागणार नाही.

MDR म्हणजे क्रेडिट किंवा डेबिट कार्डची सुविधा पुरवण्याच्या मोबदल्यात बँकांकडून जोर सेवाकर लावला जातो त्याला MDR असे म्हणतात.

स्मार्टफोनविना कॅशलेस व्यवहार

एखादा व्यापारी किंवा दुकानदार मोबाइलशिवायदेखील पैसे भरण्यासाठी या अॅपचा वापर करू शकतो. कारण या अॅपद्वारे कॅशलेस व्यवहार करण्यासाठी मोबाइलची आवश्यकता नाही.

पासवर्ड

अॅप पासवर्डसाठी बायोमीट्रिक स्कॅनचा वापर करावा लागतो. म्हणजे पैशांचा व्यवहार करण्यासाठी बोटांचे ठसे किंवा बायोमीट्रिक डेटा प्रमाणित केला जाणार आहे. त्याशिवाय व्यवहार पूर्ण होणार नाही.

बँक खात्यासोबत आधार कार्ड क्रमांक जोडणे गरजेचं

युजर्सच्या बँक खात्यांसोबत आधार कार्ड क्रमांक जोडलेला असणे गरजेचं आहे. कारण आधार कार्ड क्रमांक जोडल्यानंतरच अॅपद्वारे कॅशलेस व्यवहार होऊ शकणार आहे.

अॅप असं करणार काम

गुगल प्ले स्टोअरमधून आधार पे अॅप डाऊनलोड करावे. बायोमेट्रीक स्कॅनरद्वारे अॅप लिंक जोडावी. पैशांचा व्यवहार करण्यासाठी केवळ आपला आधार कार्डवरील क्रमांक अॅपमध्ये सबमिट करावा. ज्यात बँक खातं आहे तो पर्याय निवडून व्यवहार करावा. त्यानंतर बायोमीट्रिक स्कॅनर बोटांचे ठसे स्कॅन करुन सत्यता पडताळून पाहणार.

अॅप केवळ अँड्रॉइडवर उपलब्ध

सध्या हे अॅप केवळ अँड्रॉइड फोनवर उपलब्ध आहे.

इंटरनेटशिवाय काम अशक्य

डेबिट आणि क्रेडिट कार्डच्या व्यवहारांत आधार पे अॅपचा वापर करण्यासाठी तुमच्याकडे इंटरनेट कनेक्शन असणंही गरजेचे आहे. याद्वारेच युजर्सच्या बायोमीट्रिक डेटाची पडताळणी होऊ शकते.

फंड ट्रान्सफर होणार नाही

कॅशलेस व्यवहारासाठीच या अॅपचा वापर केला जाऊ शकतो. याद्वारे कोणत्याही प्रकारचा फंड ट्रान्सफर करण्याचा पर्याय सध्या उपलब्ध नाही.

10 हजार रुपयांपर्यंतचे व्यवहार करण्याची मर्यादा

सध्या आधार पे अॅपद्वारे जास्तीत जास्त 10 हजार रुपयांपर्यंतचे व्यवहार करता येणं शक्य आहे.

NPCI सोबत मिळून विकसित केला अॅप

IDFC बँकेचा आधार पे पेमेंट अॅप UIDAI आणि NPCI (National Payments Corporation Of India) यांच्या संयुक्त विद्यमाने अॅप विकसित करण्यात आला आहे.

लोकमत

Aadhaar critical step in enabling fairer access: UN

United Nations: India's unique identification programme Aadhaar is a "critical" step in enabling fairer access to government services and has "tremendous potential" for fostering inclusion, according to a UN report.

UIDAI has already issued more than 108.27 crore Aadhaar numbers to the residents of India.

"The decision of India in 2010 to launch the Aadhaar programme to enrol the biometric identifying data of all its 1.2 billion citizens was a critical step in enabling fairer access of the people to government benefits and services," the 2016 Report on the World Social Situation, released by the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs, said.

The report, released yesterday said, programmes such as Aadhaar have "tremendous potential to foster inclusion" by giving all people, including the poorest and most marginalised, an official identity.

"Fair and robust systems of legal identity and birth registration are recognised in the new 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development as an important foundation for promoting inclusive societies," it said.

The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) has already issued more than 108.27 crore Aadhaar numbers to the residents of India.

The report includes key new findings about persisting inequalities in education and economic opportunity and, challenges the international community to work harder to break down barriers to participation.

It said global social progress, while unprecedented, has not been evenly experienced.

Some 40 per cent of the world's population does not have access to education in a language they understand.

Children of ethnic minorities and those who are disabled are much less likely to finish their primary and secondary educations, it added.

The theme of this year's report is 'Leaving No One Behind The Imperative of Inclusive Development'.

It examines key causes of social exclusion and identifies social, economic and political disadvantages that some groups face as a result.

The report concludes with concrete policy recommendations that are central to the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda.

"The Sustainable Development Goals recognise that development will only be sustainable if it is inclusive," said Wu Hongbo, the UN Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Development, adding: "Pursuing development grounded in social justice will be fundamental to achieving a socially, economically and environmentally sustainable future for everyone".

The report adds that in order to promote social inclusion, barriers to participation must be broken down by revising laws, policies, institutional practices, discriminatory attitudes and behaviours, and taking steps to ensure that participation is easier.

PTI

Aadhaar to link with students’ exam forms to avoid duplicating

Patna: The Bihar School Examination Board (BSEB) would launch a drive for the first time in India to link Aadhaar number with students' examination formsto avoid duplicating and facilitate easy access to documents.

"Students who do not have Aadhaar cards are requested to apply for the same so that they can also benefit from the move," BSEB chairman Anand Kishor said.

The initiative will be implemented from the BSEB's compartmental exams, which are scheduled for November. "While submitting examination forms, students will have to specify whether or not they have Aadhaar numbers.

Those who do, will have to mention it on their forms. Students who do not have Aadhaar cards are requested to apply for the same so that they can also benefit from the move," BSEB chairman Anand Kishor said on Saturday.

The decision was taken after Kishor had a talk with Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) DG Ajay Bhushan Pandey, who was in Patna on Friday.

Inputs with TNN

Pensioners need not go to banks to give proof of life: Government

New Delhi: Pensioners need not visit banks to give proof of their life for continuation of pension, the Centre informed the Rajya Sabha today.

Minister of State for Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions Jitendra Singh

There is no procedural complication in the disbursement of pension or family pension of a central government pensioner or family pensioners. It is credited regularly to their pension account and it does not require the pensioners' physical presence in the pension disbursing bank, Minister of State for Personnel, Public grievances and Pensions Jitendra Singh said in a written reply.

"Further, a pensioner or family pensioner need not visit the bank even for submitting life certificate, which can either be submitted online through Aadhaar-based biometric authentication or be signed by a person designated by the government for this purpose," he said.

In case a pensioner sends intimation about his serious illness or incapacitation supported by a medical certificate, a nominee of the paying branch of the bank visits the pensioner at home or hospital for recording his life certificate, Singh said.

The are about 58 lakh central government pensioners.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had in November 2014, launched 'Jeevan Pramaan' --an Aadhaar-based digital life certificate for pensioners.

The certification was launched to do away with the requirement of a pensioner having to submit a physical life certificate each year, in order to ensure continuity of his or her pension.

PTI

PAN-TAN for corporates in a day; PAN for taxpayer using Aadhaar

New Delhi: For greater ease of doing business in India, the CBDT today said it has put in place new protocols which will ensure that corporates are allotted PAN and Tax Deduction Account Number (TAN) within a day.

"The process of getting a PAN or TAN has been fast-tracked for all category of taxpayers," Atulesh Jindal, chairman of the CBDT said.

Interacting with reporters here, Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) Chairman Atulesh Jindal said the Income Tax department had recently introduced the facility for corporates allowing them to apply for TAN using digital signatures, while individuals can now get a new PAN through Aadhaar-based e-signature facility which will reduce the effective time in allotment of the unique I-T department issued number by half.

"CBDT has agreed to seamless exchange of data with Ministry of Corporate Affairs to ensure that upon incorporation of a company by MCA the PAN and TAN number are allotted within a day. The process of getting a PAN or TAN has been fast-tracked for all category of taxpayers," he said.

Jindal said the new measures are specifically aimed to ensure "ease of doing business in the country" and help taxpayers in getting PAN quickly.

"The PAN number has been made the unique business identifier for all different categories of businesses not only for assessees of the Income Tax department but also for other organisations.

"We have taken certain steps for easing the allotment of the PAN number and the process has been made totally digitised. Besides this, the corporate assessees who are filing applications on e-biz platform and the corporate who is coming to us for allotment of PAN, now such a corporate can file such an application online using the digital signature. No physical document is required to be attached along with the application," he said.

The CBDT boss said for normal taxpayers and those in the non-corporate category, these processes have also been digitised.

"They (taxpayers) can also file the application without any annexure using digital signature. Besides that, we have also introduced another facility, a convenient facility for those who do not have digital signature. They can file using Aadhaar-based e-signature facility," Jindal said while talking about processes that will be available to individuals seeking a PAN.

As many as 20 central government services including industrial licence and employer registration have been integrated with the e-Biz platform, in a move aimed at improving ease of doing business.

The e-biz project has started with the objective of providing government services through a single-window portal.

About a crore Aadhaar numbers have been linked with the I-T department issued Permanent Account Number (PAN) on the e-Biz portal till now.
A senior I-T official said the e-signature needed for obtaining PAN using Aadhaar can be obtained in a one-time fashion by a taxpayer and it will cost around Rs 5-7.

"These measures will simplify things. In this e-biz portal we have prioritised everything. The time that is being cut is with regard to the submission of the physical documents for obtaining PAN or TAN by any category of taxpayer, whether corporate or individual," the official said.

He said the department, over the last few years, has weeded out over 11 lakh duplicate PANs and the possibility of issuing two PANs to one person is remote now.

Talking about direct tax collections, which registered a growth of 24.79 per cent to Rs 1.24 lakh crore during April- June period mainly on account of early advance tax mop-up, Jindal acknowledged that these numbers are "not the actual indicator" of revenue collections.

He said Tax Deducted at Source (TDS) collections is showing a growth of more than 16-17 per cent at present.

"Only concern for us today is the corporate sector collection. That is not up to the mark. Personal income tax has shown a very good growth," he said.

Jindal said the tax department is "very very serious" about increasing the tax base for which it is using non-intrusive methods and technology.

He said with the help of a special electronic project called Non-filers Management System (NMS) to identify non-filers or stop-filers, the I-T department has identified over a crore taxpayers and collected Rs 6,000 crore in taxes last year.

"We get information from various sources and under different heads under the NMS and we are making this system more robust," the CBDT chief added.

PTI

Post offices to soon help pensioners in seeding Aadhaar

New Delhi: Post offices across the country will soon be providing assistance to pensioners in linking their their accounts to Aadhaar numbers.

Post offices will soon be providing assistance to pensioners in linking their their accounts to Aadhaar numbers.

Besides, the Centre will be taking steps to ensure quick grant of Aadhaar numbers to pensioners in north eastern areas.

This was decided by the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions in a video conference held last week with representatives of pensioners' association on various matters concerning them.

It was pointed out by Central Government Pensioners Association, Jaipur that people who are drawing their pensions from post offices are yet to carry out seeding of Aadhaar due to lack of facilities for linking of Aadhaar card in post offices, according to minutes of the meeting.

The associations were assured that the ministry will deal with this issue separately with Department of Posts, it said.

"The ministry has taken up the matter to ensure that post offices across the country help in seeding of Aadhaar numbers of pensioners on priority basis," a senior Personnel Ministry official said.

During the conference, it was pointed out that the linking has not been possible in majority of cases because of non-availability of Aadhaar cards in north east area.

It was then decided that Registrar General of India will be informed for speeding up registration process in the north eastern region, the minutes said.

There are about 58 lakh central government pensioners across the country.

"The associations were requested to get their members' Aadhaar card linked with their pension accounts wherever this has not been done. They are also requested to spread the message and persuade even those pensioners who are not their members to get their Aadhaar card linked with the pension account," it said.

All the pensioners' associations were also asked to continue to work towards special cleanliness drive with the help of municipal corporation and resident societies, and create awareness among the public through their own resources, the minutes said.

The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) issues Aadhaar--a 12-digit unique identification number--which acts as a proof of identity and address, anywhere in the country.

PTI

Special Aadhaar Enrolment drive for Pensioners, from May 30 to June 10, 2016

Pensioners will also get opportunity to seed data for digital life certificate The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) has launched a special enrolment drive for pensioners who are yet to enroll for Aadhaar. The drive is being conducted to enable Pensioners avail the convenience of Jeevan Pramaan, an initiative of Department of Pensions and Pensioners’ Welfare, Government of India. Every year, pensioners need to provide a life certificate to an authorized pension disbursing agency such as a Bank, Post office etc., for receipt of pension. To get a life certificate the pensioner is required to either personally present oneself before the Pension Disbursing Agency or have the Life Certificate issued by the department/authority where they served earlier and have it delivered to the disbursing agency. This entails considerable hardship to the senior Citizens. Jeevan Pramaan, a digital life certificate which utilises the Aadhaar identity platform, addresses this very problem by digitizing the whole process of securing a life certificate. A pensioner just needs to biometrically authenticate at the nearest centre. After successful authentication, the digital life certificate is stored in a Life Certificate Repository, which can be accessed by the Pension Disbursing Authority. To facilitate pensioners to avail the facility of Jeevan Pramaan, which is based on Aadhaar Identity platform, UIDAI and Department of Pensions and Pensioners’ Welfare have taken initiative to carry out special enrolment drive for Pensioners through banks which are Registrars for enrolment for Aadhaar as well as Pension Disbursing Authorities. The banks which include names like State Bank of India, Punjab National Bank, Bank of Baroda, Allahabad Bank, Canara Bank, have also been asked to conduct special Aadhaar seeding camps where Pensioners will be requested to provide their Aadhaar details to their respective banks from which they draw pension so that they can get a digital life certificate – Jeevan Pramaan. The enrolment drive and the Aadhaar seeding camp is being run from May 30 to June 10, 2016. “We hold special enrolment drives to help people who are yet to enrol for Aadhaar. This particular exercise has been initiated to make sure pensioners get an Aadhaar number if they still don’t have one and seed the Aadhaar details of pensioners so that they can get a Jeevan Pramaan,” said Director General & Mission Director of UIDAI, Dr. Ajay Bhushan Pandey. So far over 15.41 Lakh pensioners have already registered for the Aadhaar-enabled Jeevan Pramaan service. PIB

Govt all set to launch special colour-coded Aadhaar card for disabled

New Delhi: The government is all set to launch special colour-coded Aadhaar card for disabled for easy linkage to the government’s schemes and services.

Aadhaar card will be marked by three different colours — red, blue and yellow to indicate the degree of disability.

The Social Justice and Empowerment Ministry is likely to launch the process for registration of disabled persons on a centralised e-platform to issue Unique Disabled Identity (UDID) cards.

The card will be marked by three different colours — red, blue and yellow to indicate the degree of disability.

First Aadhaar cards are likely to be delivered in August in Ratlam in Madhya Pradesh, which is the chosen district for the pilot project.

According to officials, rough estimates put the number of the disabled persons having disability certificate at not more than one crore. The UDID portal is expected to create real time data for planning and disbursal of benefits to the disabled.

The UDID portal will be launched in the public domain in June for registration at the district level and the first cards are likely to be handed out to eligible persons in mid-August. The cards will be marked by a colour bar at one end.

Red colour will indicate disability of 80% and above, blue for disability between 40% and 80% and yellow for disability below 40%.

It has been designed by National School of Design, Ahmedabad. It will have a hologram meshed in to prevent any attempts at duplication.

All applicants will be certified after due verification by the CMO and only then the UDID will be generated.

Considering that everyone may not have access to the online platform, offline applications will also be accepted. “The database will be unique hence there will be no chance of duplication,” an official explained.

The states that will be covered in the first phase include UP, Haryana, Chandigarh, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha, Telangana, Kerala, Tripura, Jharkhand and Tamil Nadu. The remaining states will be covered by 2018.

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