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The Supreme Court of India has delivered a landmark judgment regarding the use of Aadhaar cards for determining age, declaring that it is not a valid document for this purpose. This ruling stems from a case involving a road accident victim where the Punjab and Haryana High Court had accepted an Aadhaar card to ascertain the deceased's age for compensation purposes. The Supreme Court, however, overturned this decision, asserting that the date of birth mentioned in a school leaving certificate is the legally recognized document for establishing age, as stipulated under Section 94 of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015.
The court's decision was heavily influenced by the Unique Identification Authority of India's (UIDAI) stance on the matter. UIDAI, through its circular number 8 of 2023, explicitly stated that while an Aadhaar card can be used to establish identity, it is not a definitive proof of date of birth. This clarification aligns with an earlier office memorandum issued by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology in December 2018. The Supreme Court, in its verdict, acknowledged UIDAI's circular and emphasized that determining age requires a reliable and officially recognized document, such as a school leaving certificate, rather than an Aadhaar card.
This ruling highlights the importance of adhering to established legal frameworks and using appropriate documents for specific purposes. The Supreme Court's decision reaffirms the legitimacy of school leaving certificates as primary documents for establishing age, particularly in legal contexts, and underscores the limitations of Aadhaar cards in this regard. The court's emphasis on the need for accurate and verifiable age information in matters such as compensation claims ensures fairness and prevents potential manipulation or misrepresentation.
Source: Aadhar Card Not A Valid Document For Determining Age: Supreme Court