Manipur adopts stringent Aadhaar verification process

IMPHAL — Manipur has adopted one of the most stringent Aadhaar enrolment processes for adults in the country, with multiple layers of verification mandated by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) and the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI), officials said.

The information was shared during a high-level review meeting on Aadhaar enrolment and related services held at Raj Bhavan, Imphal. The meeting was chaired by Manipur Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla and attended by Chief Secretary PK Singh, Commissioner (Home) N Ashok Kumar, and senior officials from the Home, Social Welfare, Education Departments, and UIDAI.

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In a press release issued after the meeting, Home Commissioner N Ashok Kumar stated, “The process is based on MHA and UIDAI guidelines, and the rigorous scrutiny in Manipur ensures that approval is granted only after detailed verification of Aadhaar applications.”

It was highlighted that every adult Aadhaar application is mandatorily scrutinised and approved only at the State headquarters level by the office of the Special Secretary (Home). A UIDAI official present in the meeting remarked that “Manipur’s adult Aadhaar process is perhaps the most stringent in the country.”

Former Chief Minister N Biren Singh also welcomed the move, calling it an important step toward protecting the state’s integrity and identity. In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Singh stated, “These efforts are critical to safeguarding our integrity and identity. In addition, it is equally important to remember that Manipur is a state where the Inner Line Permit (ILP) system is in place to regulate the entry and stay of non-residents.”

He also referred to past instances where individuals with questionable origins managed to reside in the state using falsified documents.

Citing one such case, Singh wrote, “A notable example is that of one late Nehginpao Kipgen. As per media reports, he was born in Teijang, Myanmar in 1975, came to Manipur for education, studied across India and abroad, and lived as an Indian citizen. This is a classic example of how origins were never seriously questioned, and over time, some individuals freely and covertly became citizens through unchecked processes.”

Singh further emphasised the security sensitivity of the region, noting that Manipur shares a porous international border with Myanmar and lies close to China, making robust identity verification essential for national security.

He also pointed to recent incidents involving fake Aadhaar cards being used by Myanmarese nationals for illegal activities. In one such case last month, a Myanmarese individual carrying an Aadhaar card allegedly issued in Manipur was arrested in Mizoram with heroin in his possession.

Officials at the meeting agreed that the heightened scrutiny of Aadhaar enrolment in Manipur is essential to curb such threats and ensure that identification documents are not misused for unlawful entry or activities.