Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma announced on Thursday that individuals above 18 years of age will face new restrictions on obtaining first-time Aadhaar card in the state, as part of efforts to curb illegal immigration.
Following a Cabinet meeting, Sarma revealed that adults who have not yet applied for an Aadhaar card will have only a one-month period to do so. This measure aims to strengthen identity verification processes and prevent unauthorized individuals from obtaining Indian citizenship. However, exemptions have been made for certain communities, including Tea Tribes, Scheduled Castes (SC), and Scheduled Tribes (ST), who will be allowed to apply for Aadhaar cards for an additional year.
“This decision is a proactive step to safeguard the authenticity of citizens’ identities and address concerns about illegal immigration, particularly from neighboring regions,” Sarma stated.
In Assam, barring a few sections of people, for whom we will be making an exception, everyone else has received an Aadhar Card.
New Aadhar cards will only be issued by DCs in rarest of rare cases to ensure a robust mechanism to check applications by illegal infiltrators. pic.twitter.com/X8I8Ta9r5w
— Himanta Biswa Sarma (@himantabiswa) August 21, 2025
In a related policy shift, the Chief Minister announced that Aadhaar cards for adults will now be issued exclusively through the offices of Deputy Commissioners (DCs), discontinuing the use of common service centers and third-party vendors. “By centralizing the issuance process, we aim to enhance scrutiny and ensure no illegal immigrants can fraudulently obtain Aadhaar cards,” Sarma explained. He added that this system will also facilitate tracking and deportation efforts.
The new measures reflect the Assam government’s ongoing commitment to addressing immigration-related challenges while balancing the needs of its diverse population.
