EPFO Excludes Aadhaar Card as Proof of Date of Birth, Provides Updated List of Valid Documents

In a significant decision, the Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) has removed the Aadhaar card from the list of documents considered acceptable as proof of date of birth (DOB).

This modification comes following a directive from the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI). The EPFO issued a circular on January 16, stating that Aadhaar, previously considered by many as proof of date of birth, is primarily an identity verification tool and not a valid proof of birth.

The circular, approved by the Central Provident Fund Commissioner (CPFC), aligns with recent court judgments reinforcing that Aadhaar cannot be regarded as proof of date of birth.

The circular stated, “In this connection, a letter has been received from UIDAI (copy attached), wherein it has been stated that the use of an Aadhaar, as proof of DoB needs to be deleted from the list of acceptable documents. Accordingly, the Aadhaar is being removed from the list of acceptable documents for correction in date of birth as mentioned in Table-B of Annexure -1 of the JD SOP under reference.”

The EPFO has provided an updated list of documents considered valid as proof of date of birth:

1. Marksheet issued by any recognized Government Board or University
2. School Leaving Certificate (SLC)/ School Transfer Certificate (TC)/ SSC certificate containing Name and Date of Birth
3. Certificate based on the service records
4. PAN card
5. Central/State Pension Payment Order
6. Domicile Certificate issued by the Government
7. Passport
8. Government pension
9. Medical certificate issued by the Civil Surgeon

It’s essential to note that Aadhaar, a 12-digit individual identification number issued by the UIDAI on behalf of the Government of India, will no longer serve as proof of date of birth according to EPFO guidelines.