
More than 90% of India's population has received an Aadhaar card thus far. An essential document for proving identity and residence is the Aadhaar card. However, as the central government has repeatedly stated, it is not evidence of indian citizenship. Although it is not proof of citizenship, the Aadhaar card is one of the most significant and fundamental documents in India.
What does Aadhaar stand for?
As was already noted, the Aadhaar card is a crucial document that is used to verify an applicant's identity and address in order to expedite numerous processes that call for such information. It doesn't serve as evidence of indian citizenship.
After the election commission of india (ECI) announced Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral records in bihar prior to the Legislative assembly elections, the problem of Aadhaar cards not being proof of indian citizenship surfaced. The election commission of india (ECI) noted that Aadhaar does not prove a person's citizenship as the case made its way to the supreme Court.
Now, the question is what official documents will prove indian citizenship?
What documents will prove indian citizenship?
There are alternative methods to demonstrate citizenship because Aadhaar is not a proof of citizenship. Here, we list the documents that the indian government accepts as legitimate proof of citizenship.
Passport: A valid indian passport is required in order to go overseas. However, it is a crucial document to verify a person's nationality in the context of citizenship. Since it enables an indian native to assert their identity as a citizen of the Republic of india, a valid indian passport is one of the documents used to prove citizenship in India.
Birth Certificate: Every birth and death in a family must be registered. A legitimate and primary document of citizenship is the birth certificate issued following the Registration of Births and Deaths Act of 1969.
Voter ID (EPIC): There is no minimum age requirement for passports or birth documents. In this instance, a person's voter ID card, also known as their Electors Photo Identity Card (EPIC), is used as documentation of their indian citizenship.
Domicile Certificate: Domicile certificates are formal documents that are provided by indian state or union territory governments attesting to a person's permanent residency in that area. A person's claims to indian citizenship are further supported by a domicile certificate, which attests to the fact that they have lived in a certain state or union territory.