Passport Applicants Face Delays Due To Mistakenly Furnishing Aadhaar As Proof Of Birth

In Hyderabad, nearly 200 applications are rejected or kept pending due to incomplete or invalid documentation despite PSKs issuing 3,800 passports on a daily basis.

Hyderabad: Oblivious to the Supreme Court order, many passport applicants still furnish Aadhaar details as proof of birth, which is not accepted, leading to delays in processing applications. Even after rescheduling appointments and re-submitting the required documents, applicants can lose a week to ten days. Consequently, they face extended waiting periods for getting passports.

With five passport service centres and 14 post office Passport Seva Kendras (PSK) in Hyderabad collectively issuing 3,800 passports daily, nearly 200 applications are rejected or kept pending due to incomplete or invalid documentation. Officials emphasise the importance of reviewing the required documents in the "Document Advisor' section under the "Before You Apply" tab on the official website, passportindia.gov.in. This resource provides detailed guidelines for submitting documents for first-time applicants, re-issuance, police clearance certificates (PCCs), and diplomatic passports.

What Supreme Court Verdict Say?

In its October 24 order, the apex court held that Aadhaar details cannot be used as proof of birth as other documents like school leaving certificates or birth certificates already serve the purpose. The verdict elicited doubts on what purpose the Aadhaar, termed as "universal identity infrastructure" by the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI), will serve.

Genesis of Age Determination

The genesis of the verdict lies in the determination of the compensation to be handed over to the family of Sika Ram who died in an accident. The Motor Accident Claims Tribunal in Rohtak, Haryana, in April 2015, had ordered the insurance company to pay a solatium of Rs 19.35 lakh, factoring in the provisions of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 on the income and age of the deceased, as well as the number of dependents. The age of any victim in accident cases determines the multiplier – a numerical value which reflects future pecuniary contributions from the deceased to the dependants, based on an assumed earning capacity and life expectancy.

But following the insurer’s appeal, the compensation was reduced to Rs 9.2 lakh by the Punjab and Haryana High Court, taking into purview the age of the deceased at the time of death as per Aadhaar details. The victim’s family moved the Supreme Court with the argument that he was 45 at the time of the accident according to his School Leaving Certificate, and the multiplier should be different from what the High Court had applied.

Documents for Residence Proof

Applicants can submit any one of the following as proof of residence:

• Utility bills (electricity, telephone, or postpaid mobile).
• Income Tax assessment orders.
• Election Commission photo ID cards.
• Gas connection proof.
• Address certificates issued by reputed employers.
• Copy of a spouse's passport (if applicable).
• Copy of parents' passports for minors (first and last pages with family details).
• Aadhaar card.
• Rent agreement.
• Bank passbooks from scheduled public/private sector or regional banks showing cash transactions.

Documents for Birth Proof

For regular passport applications, any one of the following documents can be submitted:

• Certificate from the Registrar of Births and Deaths or the Municipal Corporation.
• Class 10 certificate (mark sheet).
• Policy bonds issued by government life insurance companies.
• Service record copy for government employees, or attested pay/pension order for retired employees.
• Election photo identity card.
• PAN card with date of birth.
• Driving license issued by the Transport Department.
• Declaration from the head of the institution for children raised in orphanages or childcare homes (on official letterhead).

For Tatkal, applicants must submit three certificates, while for regular passport applications, two are required. By ensuring all the necessary documents are verified and submitted as per guidelines, applicants can avoid unnecessary delays and ensure a hassle-free passport application process.