The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) has clarified that it has not prescribed any dress code for residents who wish to enrol for an Aadhaar number. The only criterion is that the face of the resident should be clearly visible while being photographed, it has said.
The clarification follows reports in a section of the media about residents being asked to adhere to a dress code when enrolling for Aadhaar.
“The UIDAI would like to clarify that residents are free to wear any kind of dress that they are comfortable with at the time of enrolment, provided it does not hide any part of the face (from forehead to chin),” a press release said.
In fact, residents who wear turban, burkha, or any religious/traditional headgear are not required to remove them when being photographed as part of the Aadhaar enrolment process, it said.
Any deviation from standard enrolment practice, such as prescribing a dress code where there is none, is a violation of the terms of engagement by the enrolment agencies, it said.
‘Report deviations’
The UIDAI constantly reviews the functioning of enrolment agencies and levies penalties when such deviations come to light. Such instances can be reported to the Registrar concerned or the Regional Offices of the UIDAI, the release added.
