In a significant legal ruling, the Supreme Court of India has clarified that an Aadhaar card cannot be used as valid proof for determining age in compensation claims or legal cases. This judgment came in response to an appeal challenging the Punjab and Haryana High Court’s earlier decision, which had accepted an Aadhaar card as evidence to determine the age of a deceased road accident victim for awarding compensation.
The Supreme Court bench, consisting of Justices Sanjay Karol and Ujjal Bhuyan, emphasized that the age of the deceased should be established based on the date of birth recorded in the school leaving certificate, in accordance with Section 94 of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015. The court also referred to a circular issued by the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) in 2023, which clearly states that while Aadhaar can verify identity, it is not valid proof of age.
Case Background and Court’s Decision
The case before the Supreme Court involved the family of a man who had died in a road accident in 2015. The Motor Accident Claims Tribunal (MACT) in Rohtak had originally awarded a compensation of ₹19.35 lakh to the family, using the man’s school leaving certificate to determine his age. However, the Punjab and Haryana High Court later reduced the compensation to ₹9.22 lakh, relying on the age mentioned in the victim’s Aadhaar card, which indicated he was 47 years old at the time of his death.
The Supreme Court set aside the High Court’s judgment, siding with the claimant-appellants who argued that the school leaving certificate should have been used for age determination, not the Aadhaar card. The bench upheld the MACT’s original decision and restored the compensation amount.
Aadhaar Not Proof of Age, Says UIDAI
In its ruling, the Supreme Court referred to UIDAI’s 2023 circular, which states that Aadhaar can only be used as proof of identity, but not for establishing the date of birth. The court reinforced the need to rely on more concrete documents, such as school leaving certificates, when determining age for legal purposes, especially in cases related to compensation.
Legal Precedent for Future Cases
This decision sets an important precedent for future legal cases where Aadhaar is often mistakenly used to determine age. The court’s ruling will likely influence similar compensation claims, ensuring that documents like school certificates take precedence over Aadhaar cards in legal proceedings involving age determination.