Identity documents of India


Identity documents of India are increasingly used to transact and obtain government benefits in India.
While there is no single mandatory document, the following documents are used in lieu of a national identity document:
Identity documents are used for multiple purposes:
A large number of people remain without identity documents - poor people especially. In order to include them, identity requirements for Aadhaar have been reduced, however biometric facilities have been provided to reduce or eliminated duplication, so while it may be possible to obtain the card under a false name, it is less likely to be able to obtain another Aadhaar card under a different name, though there have been cases where the biometrics has been circumvented. The Government has officially rejected the use of Aadhaar as an Identity card however is often treated as such, despite being insecure.
There is criticism that India has too many Identity systems, and they are not consistently accepted.
There have been many cases of identity theft in India, and identity fraud is a major issue. With documents such as the new Aadhaar card subject to considerable fraud.
One prominent case was Shyam Acharya in 2017 who fled Australia after being charged for allegedly stealing the identity of a foreign doctor, Dr Sarang Chitale since 2003, practicing in Australian hospitals. He obtained an Indian passport, was able to migrate, became a naturalised Australian, and practice medicine all under a stolen identity obtained in India.