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Aadhaar (Targeted Delivery of Financial and Other Services) Act,
2016 [18 OF 2016]*
An Act to provide for, as a good governance, efficient, transparent, and targeted delivery of subsidies, benefits and services, the expenditure for which is incurred from the consolidated fund of India 1[or the Consolidated Fund of the State] , to individuals residing in India through assigning of unique identity numbers to such individuals and for matters connected therewith or incidental thereto.
BE it enacted by Parliament in the Sixty-seventh Year of the Republic of India as follows:—
CHAPTER I PRELIMINARY
Short title, extent and commencement.
1. (1) This Act may be called the Aadhaar (Targeted Delivery of Financial and Other Subsidies, Benefits and Services) Act, 2016.
(2) It shall extend to the whole of India 2[***] and save as otherwise provided in this Act, it shall also apply to any offence or contravention thereunder committed outside India by any person.
(3) It shall come into force on such date as the Central Government may, by notification† in the Official Gazette, appoint; and different dates may, be appointed for different provisions of this Act and any reference in any such provision to the
* Dated 25-3-2016
† Notification No. S.O. 2357(E), dated 12-7-2016.—In exercise of the powers conferred by sub-section (3) of section 1 of the Aadhaar (Targeted Delivery of Financial and Other Subsidies, Benefits and Services) Act, 2016 (18 of 2016), the Central Government hereby appoints the 12th day of July 2016, as the date on which the provisions of sections 11 to 20, 22 to 23 and sections 48 to 59 of the said Act shall come into force.
(Cont. on Page 2)
commencement of this Act shall be construed as a reference to the commencement of that provision.
COMMENTS
SECTION NOTES
1.1 Act to apply for offence or contravention committed outside India
Save as otherwise provided in this Act, it shall also apply to any offence or contravention under this Act committed outside India. [Section 1(2)]
Act to apply if offence or contravention involves any data in the Central Identities Data Repository.
Act to apply irrespective of nationality of the offender. [Section 44(1)]
See Section 44 of this Act.
Definitions.
2. In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires,—
3[(a) “Aadhaar number” means an identification number issued to an individual under sub-section (3) of section 3, and includes any alternative virtual identity generated under sub-section (4) of that section;]
4[(aa) “Aadhaar ecosystem” includes enrolling agencies, Registrars, requesting entities, offline verification-seeking entities and any other entity or group of entities as may be specified by regulations;]
(b) “Aadhaar number holder” means an individual who has been issued an Aadhaar number under this Act;
4[(ba) “Adjudicating Officer” means an adjudicating officer appointed under sub-section (1) of section 33B;
(bb) “Appellate Tribunal” means the Appellate Tribunal referred to in sub-section (1) of section 33C;]
(c) “authentication” means the process by which the Aadhaar number alongwith demographic information or biometric information of an
(Cont. from Page 1)
Notification No. S.O. 2927 (E), dated 12-9-2016.—In exercise of the powers conferred by sub-section (3) of section 1 of the Aadhaar (Targeted Delivery of Financial and Other Subsidies, Benefits and Services) Act, 2016 (18 of 2016), the Central Government hereby appoints the 12th day of September, 2016, as the date on which the provisions of sections 1 to 10 and 24 to 47 of the said Act shall come into force.
1. Inserted by the Aadhaar and Other Laws (Amendment) Act, 2019, w.e.f. 25-7-2019.
2. Words “except the State of Jammu and Kashmir” omitted by the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019, w.e.f. 31-10-2019.
3. Substituted by the Aadhaar and Other Laws (Amendment) Act, 2019, w.e.f. 25-7-2019. Prior to its substitution, clause (a) read as under:
‘(a) “Aadhaar number” means an identification number issued to an individual under sub-section (3) of section 3;’
4. Inserted, ibid
5. Inserted by the Aadhaar and Other Laws (Amendment) Act, 2019, w.e.f. 25-7-2019. 3 AADHAAR ACT, 2016
individual is submitted to the Central Identities Data Repository for its verification and such Repository verifies the correctness, or the lack thereof, on the basis of information available with it;
(d) “authentication record” means the record of the time of authentication and identity of the requesting entity and the response provided by the Authority thereto;
(
e) “Authority” means the Unique Identification Authority of India established under sub-section (1) of section 11;
(f) “benefit” means any advantage, gift, reward, relief, or payment, in cash or kind, provided to an individual or a group of individuals and includes such other benefits as may be notified by the Central Government;
(
g) “biometric information” means photograph, finger print, Iris scan, or such other biological attributes of an individual as may be specified by regulations;
(
h) “Central Identities Data Repository” means a centralised database in one or more locations containing all Aadhaar numbers issued to Aadhaar number holders along with the corresponding demographic information and biometric information of such individuals and other information related thereto;
(
i) “Chairperson” means the Chairperson of the Authority appointed under section 12;
5[(ia) “child” means a person who has not completed eighteen years of age;]
(j) “core biometric information” means finger print, Iris scan, or such other biological attribute of an individual as may be specified by regulations;
(k) “demographic information” includes information relating to the name, date of birth, address and other relevant information of an individual, as may be specified by regulations for the purpose of issuing an Aadhaar number, but shall not include race, religion, caste, tribe, ethnicity, language, records of entitlement, income or medical history;
(l) “enrolling agency” means an agency appointed by the Authority or a Registrar, as the case may be, for collecting demographic and biometric information of individuals under this Act;
(m) “enrolment” means the process, as may be specified by regulations, to collect demographic and biometric information from individuals by the enrolling agencies for the purpose of issuing Aadhaar numbers to such individuals under this Act;
(n) “identity information” in respect of an individual, includes his Aadhaar number, his biometric information and his demographic information;
S. 2
ACT, 2016 4
(o) “Member” includes the Chairperson and Member of the Authority appointed under section 12;
(p) “notification” means a notification published in the Official Gazette and the expression “notified” with its cognate meanings and grammatical variations shall be construed accordingly;
6[(pa) “offline verification” means the process of verifying the identity of the Aadhaar number holder without authentication, through such offline modes as may be specified by regulations;
(pb) “offline verification-seeking entity” means any entity desirous of undertaking offline verification of an Aadhaar number holder;]
(q) “prescribed” means prescribed by rules made by the Central Government under this Act;
(r) “records of entitlement” means records of benefits, subsidies or services provided to, or availed by, any individual under any programme;
(s) “Registrar” means any entity authorised or recognised by the Authority for the purpose of enrolling individuals under this Act;
(t) “regulations” means the regulations made by the Authority under this Act;
(
u) “requesting entity” means an agency or person that submits the Aadhaar number, and demographic information or biometric information, of an individual to the Central Identities Data Repository for authentication;
(v) “resident” means an individual who has resided in India for a period or periods amounting in all to one hundred and eighty-two days or more in the twelve months immediately preceding the date of application for enrolment;
(w) “service” means any provision, facility, utility or any other assistance provided in any form to an individual or a group of individuals and includes such other services as may be notified by the Central Government;
(x) “subsidy” means any form of aid, support, grant, subvention, or appropriation, in cash or kind, to an individual or a group of individuals and includes such other subsidies as may be notified by the Central Government.
COMMENTS
SECTION NOTES
2.1 Aadhaar Number [Section 2(a)]
Aadhaar Number is a 12 digit identification number issued to an individual who is a resident. The Central Government may notify such other category of individuals who may be entitled to obtain an Aadhaar Number. [Section 2(a) read with section 3]
See section 2(v) for definition of ‘resident’
Aadhaar Number is a random number bearing no relation to identity/attributes of the Aadhaar Number holder.
6. Inserted by the Aadhaar and Other Laws (Amendment) Act, 2019, w.e.f. 25-7-2019.
AADHAAR (TARGETED DELIVERY OF
FINANCIAL
AND OTHER SUBSIDIES BENEFITS AND SERVICES)
ACT 2016 WITH RULES – BARE ACT WITH SECTION NOTES
AUTHOR : Taxmann's Editorial Board
PUBLISHER : Taxmann
DATE OF PUBLICATION : January 2026
EDITION : 2026 Edition
ISBN NO : 9789371263887
NO. OF PAGES : 228
BINDING TYPE : Paperback
Rs. 295
DESCRIPTION
Aadhaar (Targeted Delivery of Financial and Other Subsidies Benefits and Services) Act 2016 with Rules [Bare Act with Section Notes] by Taxmann is an authoritative statutory compilation presenting the complete legal framework governing India's Aadhaar-based digital identity system. The 2026 Edition incorporates the amended and operative text of the Aadhaar Act along with all relevant Rules, Regulations, Orders, and allied subordinate legislation, reflecting the law as updated to date. Presented in a Bare Act format with Section Notes, this publication facilitates a clear understanding of legislative intent, statutory scope, and regulatory application through concise, section-wise explanatory notes and cross-references. The book offers an integrated view of Aadhaar enrolment, authentication, offline verification, data security, information sharing, penalties, and grievance redressal mechanisms, by consolidating the principal Act with the entire body of subordinate legislation—including key instruments such as the UIDAI (Returns and Annual Report) Rules 2018, Aadhaar (Enrolment and Update) Regulations 2016, Aadhaar (Data Security) Regulations 2016, Aadhaar (Authentication and Offline Verification) Regulations 2021, UIDAI (Adjudication of Penalties) Rules 2021, and Aadhaar (Payment of Fees for Performance of Authentication) Regulations 2023—this Edition serves as a reliable statutory reference on the governance and regulation of Aadhaar in India. This book is intended for the following audience:
• Advocates & Legal Practitioners
• Judges, Judicial Officers & Legal Researchers
• Government Officials & Administrators
• Compliance Professionals & Corporate Legal Teams
• Policy Makers & Academicians
The Present Publication is the 2026 Edition, covering the amended and updated text of the Aadhaar (Targeted Delivery of Financial and Other Subsidies Benefits and Services) Act [Act No. 18 of 2016] and Rules, with the following noteworthy features:
• [Complete Text of the Aadhaar Act 2016] Authoritative statutory text as amended and in force
• [Updated Amendments, Rules & Notifications] Incorporates all legislative and regulatory developments up to the 2026 Edition
• [Pre-amendment Provisions in Footnotes] Earlier versions of amended provisions are reproduced through amendment footnotes for historical and transitional reference
• [Section-by-section Notes] Concise explanatory notes clarifying definitions, procedures, responsibilities, and interpretative issues
• [Complete Subordinate Legislation] Consolidated presentation of all relevant Rules, Regulations, Orders, Schedules, and Forms
• [Authentication & Offline Verification Framework] Focused coverage of Aadhaar authentication, offline verification, paperless e-KYC, QR code verification, consent norms, and fee regulations
• [User-friendly Presentation] Clear section numbering, logical sequencing, cross-references, and a detailed subject index