The Supreme Court of India recently ruled that the Aadhaar card cannot be accepted as a valid document to prove an individual's age. This decision marks a significant legal standpoint, as Aadhaar, India’s unique biometric identification system, has been widely used for various purposes, including verifying identity and address. However, the court clarified that while Aadhaar can be used for identification purposes, it does not contain sufficient information or validation to confirm a person's date of birth accurately.
The ruling came as a result of a case where the court had to examine the reliability of Aadhaar as proof of age. The Supreme Court has set aside an order of the Punjab and Haryana High Court which had accepted an Aadhaar card for determining the age of a road accident victim to grant compensation. A bench comprising Justices Sanjay Karol and Ujjal Bhuyan, therefore, said the age of the deceased had to be determined from the date of birth mentioned in the school leaving certificate under Section 94 of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015.
This decision impacts various areas, including legal proceedings, where proof of age is necessary, such as in criminal cases, age-restricted activities, and applications for certain services or entitlements. It also reinforces the need for more reliable documents when establishing age-related eligibility, such as for pensions, voting, or applying for jobs that have age criteria.
The ruling does not diminish the importance of Aadhaar as a tool for identity verification, but it highlights the limitations of the document in contexts requiring precise age validation. The court's decision is expected to bring more clarity to the use of Aadhaar in legal and administrative processes across the country.
