- Date : 01/10/2019
- Read: 4 mins
Why has the government deactivated lakhs of Aadhaar and PAN cards? And what do you do if yours is amongst them.
After making the Aadhaar card one of the most important personal documents, lakhs of cards have now been deactivated. This recent news has led many to worry about how to deal with the situation if their cards have been deactivated. Here’s everything you need to know about this deactivation.
The Minister of Electronics and IT, revealed that the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) has deactivated close to 81 lakh Aadhaar numbers till date.
Why did it happen?
Aadhaar numbers were deactivated due to reasons mentioned in Sections 27 and 28 of Aadhaar (Enrolment and Update) Regulations, 2016. As per the provision in these sections, a person’s Aadhaar number will be deactivated/cancelled if:
- More than one Aadhaar number has been issued under one name
- There are discrepancies in the biometric data or documents provided by the individual
- Children, who enrolled while under the age of 5, haven’t updated their biometric data when they turned 5 and/or when they turned 15. The UIDAI gives the person a window of 2 years to get his/her data updated.
Related: What are the new Aadhaar features-Virtual ID and limited KYC and how do they work?
How to find out whether your Aadhaar is still active?
Four simple steps are all it takes:
- Go to UIDAI’s official website- uidai.gov.in
- Click on the ‘Verify Aadhaar number’ link, under the Aadhaar Services section
- Once the link opens, enter your 12-digit Aadhaar number in the box
- Enter the Security Code displayed on the page. Then, press the ‘verify’ tab
If your Aadhaar number has been deactivated, you will see a message saying that your Aadhaar number doesn’t exist.
What to do if your Aadhaar number has been deactivated?
To reactivate your Aadhaar number, follow these steps:
- Visit your nearest Aadhaar enrollment center
- Take all the essential documents with you
- Fill in the Aadhaar update form that will be provided to you at the center
Related: 6 Documents that must be linked with your Aadhaar card
Your biometrics will then be re-verified for a fee of Rs. 25. Your Aadhaar number will be updated only if the biometrics match with the previously recorded ones. It is important to note that you physically visit an Aadhaar centre, as this procedure cannot be done online.
PAN deactivation
Deactivation of Aadhaar numbers has come just a few weeks after the government deleted and deactivated around 11.44 lakh Permanent Account Numbers (PAN). Just like in the case of Aadhaar cards, PAN numbers were deactivated if multiple numbers were found to be allotted under one name.
Here’s how you can find out if your PAN has been deactivated
- Go to the Income Tax Department e-filing website- incometaxindiaefiling.gov.in
- Click on the ‘Know your PAN’ option on the left side panel
- The page will then ask you to enter details such as name, status, date of birth etc.
- After entering all the details, click on the ‘submit’ tab
- You will then receive an OTP password on your registered phone number
- Enter the OTP and click on the ‘validate’ tab
If your PAN is active, it’ll show ‘active’ under the ‘remarks’ column.
What to do if your PAN has been deactivated?
If your PAN has been deactivated, here are the steps you need to follow:
- Write a letter to your jurisdictional Assessing Officer (AO) in the IT department, with a request to activate your PAN
- Attach these documents with the letter
- Indemnity bond in favour of the IT department
- Copy of your PAN
- Copy of IT returns filed in the last 3 years using the particular PAN
If either or both these numbers have been deactivated, ensure you get them activated at the earliest as these are essential documents that are required for verification and transactions.
After making the Aadhaar card one of the most important personal documents, lakhs of cards have now been deactivated. This recent news has led many to worry about how to deal with the situation if their cards have been deactivated. Here’s everything you need to know about this deactivation.
The Minister of Electronics and IT, revealed that the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) has deactivated close to 81 lakh Aadhaar numbers till date.
Why did it happen?
Aadhaar numbers were deactivated due to reasons mentioned in Sections 27 and 28 of Aadhaar (Enrolment and Update) Regulations, 2016. As per the provision in these sections, a person’s Aadhaar number will be deactivated/cancelled if:
- More than one Aadhaar number has been issued under one name
- There are discrepancies in the biometric data or documents provided by the individual
- Children, who enrolled while under the age of 5, haven’t updated their biometric data when they turned 5 and/or when they turned 15. The UIDAI gives the person a window of 2 years to get his/her data updated.
Related: What are the new Aadhaar features-Virtual ID and limited KYC and how do they work?
How to find out whether your Aadhaar is still active?
Four simple steps are all it takes:
- Go to UIDAI’s official website- uidai.gov.in
- Click on the ‘Verify Aadhaar number’ link, under the Aadhaar Services section
- Once the link opens, enter your 12-digit Aadhaar number in the box
- Enter the Security Code displayed on the page. Then, press the ‘verify’ tab
If your Aadhaar number has been deactivated, you will see a message saying that your Aadhaar number doesn’t exist.
What to do if your Aadhaar number has been deactivated?
To reactivate your Aadhaar number, follow these steps:
- Visit your nearest Aadhaar enrollment center
- Take all the essential documents with you
- Fill in the Aadhaar update form that will be provided to you at the center
Related: 6 Documents that must be linked with your Aadhaar card
Your biometrics will then be re-verified for a fee of Rs. 25. Your Aadhaar number will be updated only if the biometrics match with the previously recorded ones. It is important to note that you physically visit an Aadhaar centre, as this procedure cannot be done online.
PAN deactivation
Deactivation of Aadhaar numbers has come just a few weeks after the government deleted and deactivated around 11.44 lakh Permanent Account Numbers (PAN). Just like in the case of Aadhaar cards, PAN numbers were deactivated if multiple numbers were found to be allotted under one name.
Here’s how you can find out if your PAN has been deactivated
- Go to the Income Tax Department e-filing website- incometaxindiaefiling.gov.in
- Click on the ‘Know your PAN’ option on the left side panel
- The page will then ask you to enter details such as name, status, date of birth etc.
- After entering all the details, click on the ‘submit’ tab
- You will then receive an OTP password on your registered phone number
- Enter the OTP and click on the ‘validate’ tab
If your PAN is active, it’ll show ‘active’ under the ‘remarks’ column.
What to do if your PAN has been deactivated?
If your PAN has been deactivated, here are the steps you need to follow:
- Write a letter to your jurisdictional Assessing Officer (AO) in the IT department, with a request to activate your PAN
- Attach these documents with the letter
- Indemnity bond in favour of the IT department
- Copy of your PAN
- Copy of IT returns filed in the last 3 years using the particular PAN
If either or both these numbers have been deactivated, ensure you get them activated at the earliest as these are essential documents that are required for verification and transactions.
