The Unique Identification Authority of India issues a 12-digit unique Aadhaar Number to all the individuals for availing various government schemes such as LPG subsidies, Pradhan Mantri Yojna and many more. The Aadhaar is also considered as one of the most important documents for the proof of identification and the proof of residence for all the citizens (but this is not a proof of citizenship).
An Aadhaar Card is also important for opening a fixed deposit, applying for a driving license, for various banking purposes. The Government of India has also made it mandatory for all the individuals to link Aadhaar with PAN Card for filing Income Tax Returns and more.
Moreover, for the purpose of storing the data of all the individuals secured, the UIDAI has introduced one more form Aadhaar Card i.e. Masked Aadhaar Card.
Read on to know what makes an Aadhaar Card different from the Masked Aadhaar in detail.
What is a Masked Aadhaar Card?
Masked Aadhaar Card is similar to a regular Aadhaar card. The only difference between the two variants is that your Aadhaar number is partially hidden and as the first 8-digits are replaced with the characters like XXXX-XXXX and only the last 4 digits of your Aadhaar number are visible. It protects your Aadhaar number from being disclosed to others. Other demographic details in the Aadhaar card remain the same such as the name, date of birth, gender, address, and the QR Code. Moreover, your Masked Aadhaar Card is equally valid as your regular e-Aadhaar.
What are the Steps to get a Masked Aadhaar Card?
Follow the steps mentioned below to download Aadhar card in the masked format:
Step 1: You have to visit the official website of UIDAI i.e. https://uidai.gov.in/
Step 2: Click on the ‘Download Aadhaar’ under my Aadhaar Option
Step 3: Now, enter your Aadhaar Number/Enrollment ID/Virtual ID
Step 4: Enter the Security Code and click on “Send OTP” to receive OTP on your registered mobile number
Step 5: Tick mark the ‘Masked Aadhaar’ option
Step 6: Enter the OTP received and click on “Verify And Download” to download the masked Aadhaar card
Note: You need to make sure that your mobile number is registered with Aadhaar Card for generating the OTP.
An Aadhaar card can be downloaded through various ways such as through an Aadhaar Number, Enrolment ID, Virtual ID, DigiLocker Account, mAadhaar App and more.
What is the Password in the Masked Aadhaar?
The downloaded Aadhaar will be password protected. All you have to do is enter the password to open the masked Aadhaar copy which can then be printed and shared wherever required. The password is basically the combination of the first four letters of your name (In CAPITAL) and the last four digits of the year of birth (YYYY).
The 8-digit masked Aadhaar password is in the following format:
- If the name is Suresh Singh and the year of birth is 1990, the password will be SURE1990
- If the name is Jai Singh and the year of birth is 1970, the password will be JAIS1970
- If the name is Suman Gupta and the year of birth is 1995, the password will be SUMA1995
- If the name is Ram and the year of birth is 1960, the password will be RAM1960
What is the Difference between a Masked Aadhaar Card and an Aadhaar Card?
There are various differences between an Aadhaar Card and a Masked Aadhaar as described below:
- The original Aadhaar number is hidden and nobody else except you can see the Masked Aadhaar whereas, in the case of regular Aadhaar cards, the complete Aadhaar number is visible which can also be used by others.
- In order to avail various government subsidies, you need to provide your regular Aadhaar Card and not Masked Aadhaar Card
(You can locate the nearest Aadhaar Centre online as well. To know more, click here).
