AaDhaar – NRIs new fear! To or not to apply for Aadhaar?
To news reports published in prominent newspapers Khaleej Times and Gulf News have created lot of confusion and fear among NRIs based in UAE.
On 24th July 2017, Khaleej Times came out with the news below:
NRIs urged to apply for Aadhaar Card
http://www.khaleejtimes.com/nation/dubai/nris-urged-to-apply-for-aadhaar-card
Filed on July 24, 2017 | Last updated on July 24, 2017 at 08.29 am
Non-resident Indians (NRIs) are advised to apply for the Aaadhar card to avail of state benefits and for hassle-free transactions in future.
According to a manager of the NRI section of State Bank of India (SBI), the government has not exempted Indian expats from the Aadhaar card.
Jose GL, NRI section manager at SBI’s Varkala branch, Kerala, told Khaleej Times:
“My advice to NRIs is to apply for Aadhar Card, as there is a chance for the government to make it mandatory for expats as well. Without an announcement, the government has now asked everyone to link their Permanent Account Number (Pan) with Aadhaar, for income tax returns. There is no doubt that Aadhaar will become compulsory and beneficial for several transactions in the coming years.”
Today, 26th July 2017 Gulf News have come out with a totally contradictory version of it:
‘NRIs not eligible for Aadhaar ID card’
http://gulfnews.com/news/asia/india/nris-not-eligible-for-aadhaar-id-card-1.2064508
Published: 14:32 July 26, 2017
Binsal Abdul Kader, Senior Reporter
If banks, or any Indian institutions, demand that Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) produce Aadhaar for official transactions, simply inform them that NRIs are not eligible for the identity card issued to residents of India, a top Indian official told Gulf News on Tuesday.
“Just tell them that we [NRIs] are not eligible for Aadhaar, therefore, don’t force us to produce it,” Dr Ajay Bhushan Pandey, CEO, Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI), said in a telephone interview from New Delhi.
Whether to apply for an Aadhaar, the thought has now become aa dar (upcoming fear) for expatriates here.
Who to follow and what to do is very important and appreciate responsible newspapers should do necessary homework before publishing such important formation of high importance.
Appreciate to have a clarification from the Indian Embassy authorities on which of these reports are to be followed by all.
Ramesh Menon, Abu Dhabi
26th July 2017
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