GUWAHATI, August 21, 2025: The Assam Cabinet has approved a revised Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for Aadhaar enrolment, introducing stricter rules for issuing new Aadhaar cards to adults in an effort to strengthen identity verification and curb fraudulent enrolment.
Announcing the decision after a Cabinet meeting, Chief Minister Dr. Himanta Biswa Sarma said that, beginning after this month, new Aadhaar cards will generally not be issued to individuals above 18 years of age. Only the "rarest of rare cases" will be considered, and such applications must receive approval from the respective Deputy Commissioner (DC).
The Chief Minister said the revised policy is intended to prevent illegal infiltrators from obtaining Aadhaar through fraudulent means and to safeguard Assam's demographic and geographical identity. According to him, the majority of eligible residents in the state have already been enrolled under the Aadhaar programme, making new adult applications uncommon.
Recognising the need to accommodate historically underserved communities, the Cabinet approved special exemptions for Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST), and Tea Garden communities. Individuals belonging to these categories who have not yet enrolled for Aadhaar will remain eligible to do so over the next one year.
To ensure fairness and transparency, Deputy Commissioners have been empowered to scrutinize and process applications submitted under exceptional circumstances. The government said the approval process will include strict oversight to prevent misuse while allowing genuine applicants to obtain Aadhaar.
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Addressing the media, Chief Minister Sarma said, "In Assam, barring a few sections of people for whom we are making exceptions, everyone else has already received Aadhaar. This new system ensures a robust mechanism to check applications by illegal infiltrators."
The Cabinet's decision forms part of the Assam government's broader strategy to strengthen identity verification, protect the state's demographic interests, and address long-standing concerns over illegal immigration.
In another key decision, the Cabinet approved naming the new four-lane elevated corridor from Dighalipukhuri to Noonmati as the "Maharaj Prithu Flyover" in honour of the celebrated medieval ruler remembered for his courage and leadership.
