No Aadhaar Redesign Planned: MeitY Dismisses Rumours Of New Format With Photo And QR Code

The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has recently stated to clarify the rumours claiming that the Aadhaar card may soon be redesigned to feature only a photograph and QR code by the end of this year, with personal details such as the Aadhaar number, address, date of birth and gender no longer being printed on it.

In a clarification statement issued through the Press Information Bureau (PIB), the government said, "There are intermittent news reports and social media posts explaining how Aadhaar's look may change by the end of this year to just a photo and a QR code, alone. This is NOT CORRECT. There is no plan for any such changes."

The ministry noted that these reports have been circulating widely across media and social platforms, leading to unnecessary confusion among citizens. It said, "Such news reports and social media posts are creating unwanted confusion in the minds of the people."

Further, the government urged the public to rely only on verified sources for Aadhaar-related information. "People in general are advised to ignore such reports and social media posts, and refer to official communication from UIDAI through its official social media handles and press releases issued through PIB," the release said. It also cautioned the media, adding that "Media is also advised not to encourage such information."

Media Rumours About A New Aadhaar Design

The MeitY clarification comes after months of speculation about a possible Aadhaar card redesign aimed at improving privacy. Since late 2025, several reports had suggested that the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) was considering a format in which physical Aadhaar cards would display only the holder's photograph and a QR code, a machine-readable pattern used for identity verification, while personal details would remain digitally embedded.

These claims gained traction amid broader discussions on Aadhaar privacy, concerns about misuse in offline verification, and issues related to digital identity security.

Earlier reports had also indicated that UIDAI officials were exploring ways to limit the amount of visible personal information on physical Aadhaar copies, partly to discourage unauthorised photocopying and offline storage.

Last year, in an open online conference on a new app for Aadhaar, UIDAI CEO Bhuvnesh Kumar said, "There is a thought process as to why there should be any detail on the card. It should be only a photo and a QR code. If we keep printing, then people will keep accepting what is printed. People who know how to misuse it will keep misusing it."

"Aadhaar should never be used as a document. It should only be authenticated with the Aadhaar number or verified using QR code. Otherwise, it can be a fake document," Kumar added.

Why Aadhaar Card Matters?

Aadhaar is the world's largest biometric identity system, maintained by UIDAI, with around 134 crore active holders. It plays a central role in banking, telecommunications, welfare distribution, taxation, and identity verification across India.

While concerns about Aadhaar-related fraud, data exposure, and misuse of photocopied documents have been raised from time to time, the government has consistently maintained that the core Aadhaar database remains secure.