How to link your Aadhaar to mobile number
- If you are linking your mobile phone (SIM) to Aadhaar for the first time then you will have to do so only offline.
- In another case, you can head to the UIDAI website and under the Aadhaar Update, you will be redirected to a self-service page.
FollowAadhaar, over the years, has emerged as an important document. From government's welfare schemes to banking accounts, the piece of document is being made mandatory. Now, as per government directive if your mobile phone (SIM) isn't linked to Aadhaar, it may be deactivated.
If you haven't linked your mobile number to Aadhaar, then it's time to do so\, which will differ if you are linking for the first time or simply want to update your new number. Here are easy steps for doing so:
Linking for the first time: If you are linking your mobile phone (SIM) to Aadhaar for the first time then you will have to do so only offline. The reason is authentication is usually done via one-time-password (OTP) which is sent to the registered mobile number. And, for first time users, since your number isn't registered, online process is clearly not possible.
To link mobile to Aadhaar offline, you will need to download this form, or get it from an Aadhaar centre close to your home. Fill in the details and submit it at the centre, and do let them know that only the mobile number needs to be updated. The form has to be accompanied by a photocopy of your Aadhaar card along with a copy of the PAN, driving license or such another identity proof. The Aadhaar centre will verify the biometrics and you will be given an acknowledgement receipt on verification. The number would be linked over the next few days.
Updating data on changing the mobile number: In this case, you have to option to update your new mobile number online, without the need to visit the Aadhaar centre. You can do so only provided you have the old number, which will receive the OTP.
You can head to the UIDAI website and under the Aadhaar Update, you will be redirected to a self-service page. Enter your Aadhaar number and other details asked, and the OTP will be sent to your old mobile number. On keying in the OTP, you will be directed to a page that will help you update your new number.Â
Now, the deadline for doing so is February 2018. If you fail to link Aadhaar to your mobile number, then your network could be deactivated. But, the question is how the Aadhaar Act will be impacted by the recent landmark move by a nine-judge Constitutional bench of the Supreme Court that  declared privacy as a fundamental right like the right to life. As termed a fundamental right, it would impact several other cases including the validity of the Aadhaar scheme on the grounds that it is violating the right to privacy.
