Aadhaar New Rules 2026: UIDAI Launches 5 New Initiatives, Changes Name Update Process

The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) has announced a major set of changes aimed at making Aadhaar services more convenient, accessible and secure.

The announcements were made at Aadhaar Samvaad in Kolkata on September 29, 2026, which coincided with the 17th Aadhaar Day. More than 600 policymakers, industry representatives, technocrats and professionals participated in the stakeholder conference.

Union Minister of State for Electronics and IT Jitin Prasada described Aadhaar as a critical component of India's growth story and highlighted its role in improving service delivery, financial inclusion and the delivery of government benefits.

According to UIDAI, the five initiatives are designed around resident convenience, stronger authentication, good governance and the next phase of digital transformation.

One of the major announcements is the introduction of Face Authentication for the Electronic Public Distribution System (ePDS).

The contactless, consent-based authentication method gives beneficiaries another way to verify their identity when accessing public distribution services.

This could be particularly useful in situations where fingerprint authentication is difficult.

UIDAI, the Department of Food and Public Distribution and the National Informatics Centre are working together on the initiative, allowing states and Union Territories to integrate face authentication into their ePDS systems.

UIDAI has also launched SWIK Portal 2.0 to simplify the process through which eligible entities seek approval for Aadhaar authentication under the Aadhaar Authentication for Good Governance framework.

Eligible non-government organisations and entities can submit proposals for permissible Aadhaar authentication use cases through the portal to the relevant ministry or department.

The objective is to create a more structured and coordinated approval mechanism.

Another important initiative is the Sub-AUA/Sub-KUA (LITE) Framework.

The framework is intended for government and eligible non-government entities that have relatively low-volume Aadhaar authentication requirements.

Instead of creating their own authentication infrastructure, eligible organisations can use the existing infrastructure of an AUA/KUA.

According to UIDAI, this can make onboarding simpler and faster while maintaining applicable security, privacy and regulatory requirements.

UIDAI has also introduced a new Token Management System aimed at making visits to UIDAI's state and regional offices more convenient.

The system is expected to help organise service requests and improve the experience for residents who need to visit an office for Aadhaar-related services.

The move is part of UIDAI's broader focus on making Aadhaar services more resident-centric.

The fifth major initiative is a redesigned UIDAI website.

The new website has been structured around four common reasons residents visit UIDAI — understanding Aadhaar, accessing a service, finding documents and getting assistance.

The redesigned platform also incorporates accessibility features such as screen-reader compatibility, adjustable font sizes, improved colour contrast and keyboard navigation.

The website currently supports 13 languages through BHASHINI integration, with UIDAI planning to expand support to 23 languages in the future.

It also introduces a UIDAI Career Portal for online applications related to deputation opportunities.

Alongside these digital initiatives, UIDAI has issued a new Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for updating names in Aadhaar.

The new procedure categorises name changes according to the reason for the correction. This means applicants may need different documents and affidavits depending on the type of name update they are requesting.

The revised SOP was listed by UIDAI on its official circulars page in September 2026.

Under the new procedure, a simple spelling or data-entry error is treated differently from a major change in identity.

For example, where the Aadhaar name was incorrectly entered because of a data-entry mistake, the prescribed affidavit and appropriate identity or relationship document may be required.

For a surname change after marriage or divorce, a separate prescribed affidavit and supporting identity documents may be required.

There is also a separate procedure for removing an “alias” or “urf” from a person's name.

For significant changes to a person's name, the process can involve a Gazette notification along with an identity document showing the previous name.

The revised procedure is important because incorrect or inconsistent names across official records can create problems during identity verification.

Differences in spelling, surnames or the order of names can affect processes that depend on matching identity information. Similar mismatches can create verification difficulties in financial, government and land-related services.

For people using Aadhaar-linked services, checking the exact spelling and format of their name across important documents can therefore help avoid unnecessary delays.

The new SOP is intended to make the Aadhaar name-update process more standardised by clearly identifying the documents and procedures applicable to different situations.

People planning to update their Aadhaar name should first identify what type of correction they need rather than submitting documents meant for a different category.

Applicants should check whether the change involves:

The required affidavit and supporting documents can differ depending on the category.

The latest announcements show that UIDAI is moving beyond Aadhaar as simply an identity number and focusing increasingly on digital authentication, accessibility, privacy, convenience and technology-driven governance.

Face authentication for ration services could provide an alternative to fingerprint-based verification, while the LITE framework could make Aadhaar authentication easier for eligible low-volume users.

At the same time, the revamped website and new token system are aimed at improving the everyday experience of residents.

With the new name-update SOP also bringing clearer rules for corrections, Aadhaar services in 2026 are undergoing a significant shift toward a more structured and resident-focused digital identity ecosystem.