Authors
Kushel HM is a mechanical engineer-turned-journalist, who loves all things football, tennis and films. He was with the news desk at the Hindustan Times, Mumbai, before joining Newschecker.
Pankaj Menon is a fact-checker based out of Delhi who enjoys ‘digital sleuthing’ and calling out misinformation. He has completed his MA in International Relations from Madras University and has worked with organisations like NDTV, Times Now and Deccan Chronicle online in the past.
Claim
It is mandatory to update your Aadhaar card after 10 years or it will become invalid.
Fact
Newschecker ran a relevant keyword search, which led us to this ClearTax write-up, dated March 15, 2024, on how to update your Aadhaar card online for free.
In the FAQs section, the article clearly states that it is not mandatory to update your Aadhaar card after 10 years of the enrolment date. “However, it is recommended that your Aadhaar card be updated after 10 years to ensure it is up-to-date and accurate,” it further states, adding that when your Aadhaar is not updated, it may lead to difficulty in obtaining the benefits of various government schemes. A similar article by Moneylife, dated December 14, 2022, states that there is no proposal before the Union government to make it mandatory to update Aadhaar every 10 years.
We came across this press release by the PIB, on behalf of the Ministry of Electronics & IT, dated November 10, 2022, stating, “Residents who had got their Aadhaar issued 10 years ago, and have never updated after that in these years, such Aadhaar number holders are encouraged to get their documents updated.”
“Some news reports incorrectly reported on Thursday that it has been made mandatory. It is informed to ignore these reports and social media posts,” clarified the press release.
“The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) has previously issued a press release underlining that it is urging and encouraging residents to keep their documents updated. The recently issued gazette notification also clearly mentions that residents “may” do so on completion of every 10 years,” read the press release. News reports clarifying that it is not mandatory to update Aadhaar details every 10 years can be seen here and here.
We looked up the UIDAI website where we did not find any circular or note stating that Aadhar cards must be updated after 10 years or else they would become invalid. We reached out to the UIDAI and will update this article once we receive a response.
In conclusion, while UIDAI recommends Aadhaar holders to update their documents, it is not mandatory, therefore, not updating cards older than 10 years will not make them invalid.
Also Read: Congress Did Not Field Candidates From Arunachal Fearing China? False Claim Goes Viral
Result: Partly False
Source
PIB release, November 10, 2022
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Authors
Kushel HM is a mechanical engineer-turned-journalist, who loves all things football, tennis and films. He was with the news desk at the Hindustan Times, Mumbai, before joining Newschecker.
Pankaj Menon is a fact-checker based out of Delhi who enjoys ‘digital sleuthing’ and calling out misinformation. He has completed his MA in International Relations from Madras University and has worked with organisations like NDTV, Times Now and Deccan Chronicle online in the past.
