Aadhaar Card Update: If you are aware of the recent Aadhaar row, then you must be aware that the UIDAI’s Bangalore office has warned against submitting Aadhaar photocopies to hotels and movie threatres among others to prevent its misuse. While the 12-digit Aadhaar number issued by the Unique Identification Authority of India has become one of the most important documents one can have, it can also be misused by fraudsters to commit various crimes. While the UIDAI Bangalore office’s advisory had erupted a row, the Centre stepped in to say that you can keep using your Aadhaar with normal prudence.
However, the Centre, in its notification where it withdrew UIDAI’s statement, did also mention that it was issued to prevent attempted photoshopped crimes using Aadhaar. The Bengaluru regional office of the UIDAI issued the statement in the “context of an attempt to misuse a photoshopped Aadhaar card”, it said in a statement on Sunday.
To prevent these kinds of frauds and to make your Aadhaar more secure, the UIDAI has an option of a ‘masked Aadhaar ID’ or Virtual ID (VID. As the name suggests, a masked Aadhaar is essentially a 12-digit ID number that can be shared without revealing anything important about your personal information.
What is a Masked Aadhaar?
“Mask Aadhaar option allows you to mask your Aadhaar number in your downloaded e-Aadhaar. Masked Aadhaar number implies replacing of first eight digits of Aadhaar number with some characters like “xxxx-xxxx” while only last four digits of the Aadhaar Number are visible,” says the UIDAI website. Therefore, it is a legal way to download e-copies of your Aadhaar without the number being seen.
How to Download the Masked Aadhaar
Step 1: Open the link – https://eaadhaar.uidai.gov.in/
Step 2: Enter your full 12-digit Aadhaar card number.
Step 3: Tick the option that reads – ‘I want a masked Aadhaar’.
Step 4: Next you need to input the Captcha verification code that will be provided to verify yourself.
Step 5: Click on the option ‘Send OTP’.
Step 6: Now, all that is left is for you to download the e-Aadhaar copy.
Step 7: Now, enter the OTP and click on “Download Aadhaar”
Now, you will be able to access your masked Aadhaar, which will be downloadable in the PDF format. However, it will be password protected. The Aadhaar letter password is a combination of the first four letters of your first name in capital letter, followed by the year of your birth in YYYY format. For example, if your name is Prem Agarwal and your birth year is 1989, then the password for your masked Aadhaar will be PREM1989. You can use a masked Aadhaar in cases where the full Aadhaar number is not required, for example while doing e-KYC or while submitting your Aadhaar as an ID proof at a hotel.
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