Hyderabad: Aadhar guidelines allow married women to keep both their maiden name and their husband’s name on the card but make it mandatory to furnish supporting proof.
For instance, for a woman applicant intending to add her husband's surname to her original card that already has her maiden name, the applicant is made to prove who the father is, ironically, when it is already reflected on the original card. The name changes are done ‘only’ when one of the identity documents are submitted.
The guidelines have slated 18 supporting documents including a notarized affidavit to be produced as proof. Aadhar card enrolment operators insist on these documents for name changes.
For example, given that an applicant’s name is Shuchita Disha Rao, the Aadhar card already reflects the father’s name ‘Rao’. Shuchita post marriage approaches the Aadhar operators to add her husband’s surname ‘Reddy’. However, she also wants to retain her maiden surname ‘Rao’. Subsequently, the name on the card should read ‘Shuchita Rao Reddy’. The operators are insisting on supporting documents to prove that Rao is the father.
When this correspondent visited the Aadhar center at Mahankali Market, Secunderabad, for a name change in the Aadhar card, the operators gave a list of supporting documents that specified the person’s (father’s or guardian’s) picture and name. When it was pointed out that the card already reflects the maiden surname, the operators cited UIDAI guidelines.
When the UIDAI officials were contacted, a senior officer said, “Name change needs supporting proof, as per UIDAI guidelines. One should visit uidai.gov.in; there is a list of proof of identity, passport, pan card, driving licence, government id, arms licence,bank ATM card and more. Any one of them should be submitted. The name change can happen ‘only’ when one of these documents are produced.”
