Assam to stop issuing Aadhaar to adults: CM Sarma

The Assam government will temporarily stop issuing Aadhaar cards to persons above 18 years of age, except those belonging to Scheduled Tribes (ST), Scheduled Castes (SC) and tea garden workers. Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Thursday announced that people from other communities who are yet to get Aadhaar will be given a final chance to apply in September. “We will allow them to apply within the month of September,” he said. Linking the decision to border security and concerns over illegal immigration, Sarma said, “We have continuously pushed back Bangladeshi nationals along the border. We want to take protection that no one (illegal foreigner) can obtain Aadhaar card from Assam by entering into the state and claim to be an Indian citizen. We have completely closed that way,” he said.

In Assam, barring a few sections of people, for whom we will be making an exception, everyone else has received an Aadhar Card.

New Aadhar cards will only be issued by DCs in rarest of rare cases to ensure a robust mechanism to check applications by illegal infiltrators. pic.twitter.com/X8I8Ta9r5w

— Himanta Biswa Sarma (@himantabiswa) August 21, 2025

He said only a one-month window will be available in September for people above 18 years of age who have not yet enrolled for an Aadhaar card. The chief minister further clarified that beyond this window, Aadhaar enrolment will be subject to strict scrutiny. “In rare and rarest case, the District Commissioner will be the authority to issue Aadhaar card after completion of the window period and the DC will have to check SB report, Foreigners Tribunal report before issuing Aadhaar card,” Sarma said.