Aadhaar is never the primary identity: UIDAI chief amid Bihar voter revision controversy.

In the continuing dispute regarding the non-inclusion of Aadhaar in the list of valid identity documents for Bihar’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voter rolls, Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) CEO Bhuvnesh Kumar stated that Aadhaar is “not the primary identity.”

In an exclusive interview with India Today, Kumar emphasized UIDAI’s continuous initiatives to combat the fake Aadhaar card market, noting that Aadhaar cards incorporate a security feature via a QR code.

“There is a QR code on all the new Aadhaar cards issued and there is an Aadhaar QR scanner app developed by UIDAI. With this app, one can match the credentials of the Aadhaar card with what is embedded in the QR code. If somebody produces a fake Aadhaar card, it can easily be checked and stopped,” he said.

Kumar further added that there may be instances where people generate fake-looking Aadhaar cards using Photoshop or printed templates. “These are not Aadhaar cards,” he clarified.

The UIDAI chief also revealed that a new Aadhaar app is in the final stages of development.

“A demo has already been done. It is work in progress and internally it has been shared. This app will basically allow sharing of identity in a seamless manner digitally, with the consent of the Aadhaar number holder,” he said.

The new application will remove the necessity for individuals to exchange physical versions of their Aadhaar cards. A masked option will also be an essential feature, enabling users to share their Aadhaar information in either complete or masked form, based on their consent.

In the meantime, the Election Commission on Sunday emphasized that the SIR was being “executed effectively at the grassroots level” and that there had been “no alterations in directives.”

The EC’s directive from June 24 seeks to encompass approximately eight crore voters in Bihar by July 25 to eliminate ineligible names and ensure only eligible individuals are included.

Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav requested the Election Commission to delay the SIR exercise until the assembly elections in Bihar. Yadav, the leader of Opposition in the state assembly, stated that voters were facing difficulties as Aadhaar and MNREGA job cards—commonly possessed in Bihar—were not recognized as valid identity proof.