Section 4 - Properties of Aadhaar number. - The Aadhaar (Targeted Delivery of Financial And Other Subsidies, Benefits And Services) Act, 2016

Properties of Aadhaar number. 4. (1) An Aadhaar number, issued to an individual shall not be re-assigned to any other individual. (2) An Aadhaar number shall be a random number and bear no relation to the attributes or identity of the Aadhaar number holder. 1 [ (3) Every Aadhaar number holder to establish his identity, may voluntarily use his Aadhaar number in physical or electronic form by way of authentication or offline verification, or in such other form as may be notified, in such manner as may be specified by regulations. Explanation.-For the purposes of this section, voluntary use of the Aadhaar number by way of authentication means the use of such Aadhaar number only with the informed consent of the Aadhaar number holder. (4) An entity may be allowed to perform authentication, if the Authority is satisfied that the requesting entity is- (a) compliant with such standards of privacy and security as may be specified by regulations; and (b) (i) permitted to offer authentication services under the provisions of any other law made by Parliament; or (ii) seeking authentication for such purpose, as the Central Government in consultation with the Authority, and in the interest of State, may prescribe. (5) The Authority may, by regulations, decide whether a requesting entity shall be permitted the use of the actual Aadhaar number during authentication or only an alternative virtual identity. (6) Every requesting entity to whom an authentication request is made by an Aadhaar number holder under sub-section (3) shall inform to the Aadhaar number holder of alternate and viable means of identification and shall not deny any service to him for refusing to, or being unable to, undergo authentication. (7) Notwithstanding anything contained in the foregoing provisions, mandatory authentication of an Aadhaar number holder for the provision of any service shall take place if such authentication is required by a law made by Parliament. ] Explanation.- For the purposes of this sub-section, the expression electronic form shall have the same meaning as assigned to it in clause (r) of sub-section (1) of section 2 of the Information Technology Act, 2000 (21 of 2000). ******* Notes 1. Substituted vide AADHAAR AND OTHER LAWS (AMENDMENT) ACT, 2019 before it was read as (3) An Aadhaar number, in physical or electronic form subject to authentication and other conditions, as may be specified by regulations, may be accepted as proof of identity of the Aadhaar number holder for any purpose.