‘Maintain regional identity, reduce inconvenience’: Ladakh residents’ Aadhaar cards reflect UT’s name instead of ‘Jammu and Kashmir’

New Delhi: Ladakh residents will now have ‘Ladakh’ instead of ‘Jammu and Kashmir’ in their names Adharkawhich was called a “major move” to maintain its regional identity. Although Ladakh became a union territory in 2019, after the region was carved out from Jammu and Kashmir (which also became a union territory), the Aadhaar records of its residents still reflect the previous country name. Ladakh Deputy Governor Vinay Kumar Saxena attached great importance to the issue and directed the Ladakh government to resolve it as soon as possible, according to a press release. The matter was subsequently dealt with by the Government Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI), the central agency responsible for issuing Aadhaar cards. “‘Jammu and Kashmir’ keeps appearing in the Aadhaar records of Ladakh residents, causing considerable inconvenience. Residents are facing difficulties in using the document as valid proof of identity and address and availing various services as the ‘country’ field does not match the post-reorganized status of Ladakh,” the release said. The issue also affects the correct representation of Ladakh in Aadhaar-related records and progress reports. To solve this problem, the government and UIDAI have designed an innovative mechanism to centrally update the Status field. The update is done using a Ladakh-specific PIN code instead of requiring residents to visit the Aadhaar center individually. This information is verified in coordination with India Post and shared with UIDAI.