Those without fingers, irises, can easily enroll for Aadhaar, details inside
An eligible individual who is unable to provide both finger and iris biometrics may enroll without submitting either.
Aadhaar Enrollment: Hearing that a person in Kerala could not enroll for Aadhaar because she had no fingers, Union Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar directed that immediate steps be taken to ensure her enrollment. Pursuant to this, a team from the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) visited Josymol P. Jose at her home in Kumarakam, Kottayam District in Kerala the same day and got her Aadhaar number generated. Her mother thanked the authorities for their support and assistance and said that with the help of Aadhaar, her daughter will now be able to easily avail various benefits and services, including social security pension and Kaivalya, a rehabilitation program for Divyangjan.
Rajeev Chandrasekhar said, “A standard advisory has been sent to all Aadhaar Service Kendras with instructions that Aadhaar should be issued to people like Ms. Josymol P Jose or to others with fingerprint fingerprints or similar disabilities, by taking alternative biometrics.”
UIDAI has incorporated special provisions in its regulations and issued Biometric Exception Enrollment Guidelines in August 2014, laying down the procedure for enrolling individuals with missing fingers whose biometric data cannot be captured for any reason (such as a cut, bruise, bandage, worn or bent fingers due to old age or leprosy), or where the biometry of the irises or of both fingers and irises cannot be recorded for any reason.
Someone who is eligible for an Aadhaar but cannot provide fingerprints can only register with an iris scan. Likewise, an eligible individual whose irises cannot be captured for any reason can enroll using only his/her fingerprint. Further, an eligible individual who is unable to provide both finger and iris biometrics may enroll without submitting either.
For such individuals, the guidelines for enrollment with biometric exceptions require that the name, gender, address and date/year of birth be recorded along with available biometric data, while missing ones are flagged in the enrollment software. A photo must be taken in the registration software. in the manner specified in the Guidelines to highlight the unavailability of finger(s) or iris(es) or both and the Aadhaar Enrollment Center Supervisor shall validate such enrollment as an exceptional enrollment. Thus, any eligible person who undergoes the enrollment process by submitting the required information can get an Aadhaar number irrespective of any inability to provide biometric data.
The UIDAI registers about a thousand persons every day under exceptional registration as above. To date, UIDAI has provided Aadhaar numbers to nearly 29 lakh individuals who were missing fingers or otherwise unable to provide their finger, iris or both biometrics.
UIDAI has issued an advisory to enrollment registrars and agencies to take all necessary steps, including dissemination of knowledge and awareness and sensitization through training, to ensure that all Aadhaar enrollment operators are made aware of the exceptional enrollment procedure, this follow and the persons undergoing such registration need the necessary assistance. Further, an informative poster has been prepared in this regard showing the Aadhaar enrollment centres.