Continuing its efforts to enhance the accessibility of Aadhaar services In Nagaland, the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) opened the State’s first Aadhaar Seva Kendra (ASK) in Dimapur on Friday.
Inaugurating the ASK, Advisor for Tribal Affairs and Elections, Tovihoto Ayemi described it as a landmark achievement that would significantly improve access to Aadhaar-related services for the people of the state.
Addressing the inaugural programme, Ayemi said the establishment of the Aadhaar Seva Kendra fulfilled a long-cherished aspiration of Nagaland and would bring much-needed convenience to citizens who previously had to travel outside the state, particularly to Guwahati, for complex Aadhaar-related services and biometric updates.
He noted that Aadhaar has become an essential identity document for every citizen and plays a crucial role in accessing various government services and welfare schemes. He said children are required to undergo Mandatory Biometric Updates (MBU) at the ages of five and fifteen, making Aadhaar indispensable for school admissions, scholarships, competitive examinations and numerous other educational requirements.
Expressing concern over the state’s Aadhaar enrolment performance, Ayemi said Nagaland still lags behind in enrolment and updation despite having around 150 to 160 Aadhaar centres functioning through departments such as School Education, the Commissioner of Nagaland, India Post and the Department of Social Welfare and Women & Child Development.
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He explained that while these centres provide basic Aadhaar services, the newly established Aadhaar Seva Kendra would offer a wider range of specialised services, enabling residents to resolve complicated Aadhaar-related issues within the state instead of undertaking expensive and time-consuming journeys outside Nagaland.
The Advisor said the new facility would particularly benefit senior citizens, differently-abled persons, children and people residing in remote areas by making Aadhaar enrolment, corrections and updates more accessible and efficient.
Assuring the government’s full support to the initiative, Ayemi said every effort would be made to ensure the smooth functioning of the Aadhaar Seva Kendra and improve service delivery for the public.
He also urged UIDAI to extend its fullest cooperation to the state in strengthening the centre and ensuring quality services for citizens. At the same time, he appealed to officials posted at the Aadhaar Seva Kendra to provide prompt, citizen-friendly and hassle-free services, stressing that people seeking online or offline appointments should not face unnecessary delays or inconvenience.
The inauguration ceremony was attended by Ngachan Zimik, Deputy Director General (DDG), UIDAI Regional Office, Guwahati, and Col Abhishek Koushik, Director, UIDAI Regional Office, Guwahati, along with several distinguished guests.
In his address, Ngachan emphasized the importance of achieving Aadhaar enrolment saturation in Nagaland and highlighted the need for Mandatory Biometric Updates (MBU) for children between the ages of 5 and 17 years. He stated that timely biometric updates are essential to avoid suspension of Aadhaar and to ensure uninterrupted access to services that require Aadhaar authentication.
Operated by UIDAI, the Aadhaar Seva Kendra is now operational at H Apartment, First Floor, Purana Bazar, near Labour Office, Dimapur, Nagaland.
The facility is equipped with modern infrastructure and air-conditioned premises to cater to a large number of visitors every day The centre is designed to be fully inclusive and resident-friendly with facilities such as wheelchair accessibility, accessible restrooms etc.
This centre can process up to 250 Aadhaar enrolment and update requests per day. Individuals can avail Aadhaar related services like Aadhaar enrolment and updation of address, name, gender, date of birth, mobile number, email and biometric details (photo, fingerprints & Iris), download eAadhaar, Print Aadhaar etc.
Residents can also book appointments online for Aadhaar services at ASK visiting UIDAl’s Appointment Portal (https://bookappointment.uidai.gov.in) and choose a date and time as per their convenience.
The Aadhaar Seva Kendra operates all seven days of the week, except on public holidays, enabling the public to access services on any day of the week.
