Supreme Court to Review Aadhaar Card Issuance Guidelines Amid Concerns of Infiltration

The Supreme Court is preparing to hear a significant petition concerning the issuance of Aadhaar cards, which seeks to limit new cards to children under six and impose stricter regulations for older applicants. This move aims to prevent infiltrators from fraudulently obtaining Aadhaar and posing as Indian citizens. The petition highlights concerns about the misuse of Aadhaar, which has evolved from a simple identity proof to a foundational document for various identification forms. Legal questions regarding the Aadhaar Act's effectiveness in distinguishing between citizens and foreigners are also raised. Stay tuned for updates on this crucial case.

By Narendra Chaudhary May 3, 2026, 14:41 IST

Supreme Court Hearing on Aadhaar Card Regulations

New Delhi: The Supreme Court is set to deliberate on a petition this Monday that requests the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) to limit the issuance of new Aadhaar cards to children aged six and under. The plea also calls for stricter guidelines for issuing Aadhaar to older individuals to prevent unauthorized persons from posing as Indian citizens.

According to the court's schedule for May 4, the case will be heard by a bench led by Chief Justice Surya Kant alongside Justice Joymalya Bagchi.

This Public Interest Litigation (PIL), initiated by lawyer Ashwini Upadhyay, also demands that display boards be placed at common service centers clarifying that the 12-digit unique identification number serves solely as 'proof of identity' and does not confirm citizenship, residency, or date of birth.

The petition includes the UIDAI, which oversees Aadhaar issuance, as well as the Union ministries of home affairs, law and justice, and electronics and information technology among the respondents.

Filed through advocate Ashwani Dubey, the petition argues that Aadhaar, initially designed as an identity verification tool, has evolved into a 'foundational document' that facilitates the acquisition of other identification forms, including ration cards, domicile certificates, and voter IDs.

"The UIDAI has issued 1.44 billion Aadhaar numbers, with 99% of Indians enrolled. Thus, this writ petition is filed under Article 32, urging UIDAI to restrict new Aadhaar issuance to children and establish stringent guidelines for adolescents and adults to prevent infiltrators from obtaining it and posing as Indian citizens," the petition states.

The necessity for this plea arose when the petitioner discovered how infiltrators exploit a flawed verification process to obtain Aadhaar.

"While foreigners apply for Aadhaar under the 'foreign' category, infiltrators fraudulently apply under the 'Indian citizen' category, easily obtaining the card. They subsequently acquire ration cards, birth and domicile certificates, driving licenses, etc., making them indistinguishable from genuine Indian citizens," the petition elaborates.

In addition to seeking various directives, the plea raises legal concerns regarding whether the Aadhaar Act of 2016 has become 'temporally unreasonable' by failing to fulfill its legislative purpose of differentiating between foreigners and Indian citizens.

The petition asserts that the misuse of Aadhaar compromises targeted welfare initiatives and results in the misallocation of public resources.