Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra have announced that Aadhaar cards will no longer be accepted as the only proof of birth or proof of date of birth for issuing birth certificates. Both states have issued orders instructing departments to stop using Aadhaar for this purpose.
In Uttar Pradesh, the Planning Department clarified that an Aadhaar card does not include a birth certificate, so it cannot be treated as one. “The Aadhaar card is no longer valid as a birth certificate,” Special Secretary Amit Singh Bansal said in the order sent to all departments.
Maharashtra has issued a similar directive. The state’s Revenue Department said that Aadhaar cannot be used for issuing delayed birth certificates and that any certificates prepared only using Aadhaar after the 2023 amendment to the Births and Deaths Registration Act will be cancelled. The state has also ordered action against officials who issued such certificates in the past. A 16-point guideline instructs district authorities to withdraw earlier orders issued after the 2023 amendment and to get them reviewed by district collectors or other competent officials.
These state orders come even as the Supreme Court recently allowed Aadhaar to be used as a proof of identity for voter registration in Bihar. While accepting the opposition’s request, the court directed the Election Commission to include Aadhaar along with other permitted documents in the Special Intensive Revision process.
Meanwhile, Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath has instructed all district magistrates to take strict action against illegal immigrants. He emphasised that national security, law and order, and social harmony are the government’s top concerns. “Each district administration must identify illegal immigrants and take action according to the rules,” his office said in a statement quoted by PTI.
The chief minister also ordered the creation of temporary detention centres in every district. Officials said foreign nationals staying illegally will be kept in these centres until verification is completed and will be deported afterwards according to procedure.
Uttar Pradesh shares an open border with Nepal, allowing free movement for citizens of both countries, but people of other nationalities must go through checks. The orders come at a time when a nationwide voter revision exercise is underway in 12 states and union territories, including Uttar Pradesh, with the final list expected in February 2026.
