The circular was issued on January 16
In a major decision, the Employees' Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) has removed the Aadhaar card from the list of documents acceptable as date of birth (DOB) proof. The EPFO notified the removal of Aadhaar Card as an acceptable document for date of Birth after a directive from the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI). In a circular issued on January 16, EPFO noted that Aadhaar-- which was being considered as proof of date of birth by several beneficiaries-- is primarily an identity verification tool and not a proof of birth.
The circular has received approval from the Central Provident Fund Commissioner (CPFC). Some recent court judgments have also reinforced that Aadhaar could not be considered as proof of date of birth.
''In this connection, a letter has been received from UIDAI (copy attached), wherein it has been stated that the use of an Aadhaar, as proof of DoB needs to be deleted from the list of acceptable documents. Accordingly, the Aadhaar is being removed from the list of acceptable documents for correction in date of birth as mentioned in Table-B of Annexure -1 of the JD SOP under reference,'' stated the circular.
Documents which are valid as proof of Date of Birth for EPFO
- Marksheet issued by any recognised Government Board or University
- School Leaving Certificate (SLC)/ School Transfer Certificate (TC)/ SSC certificate containing Name and Date of Birth
- Certificate based on the service records
- PAN card
- Central/ State Pension Payment Order
- Domicile Certificate issued by the Government
- Passport
- Government pension
- Medical certificate issued by the Civil Surgeon
Notably, Aadhaar is a 12-digit individual identification number issued by the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) on behalf of the Government of India. This number serves as proof of identity and address, anywhere in India.