The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has issued a notification making Aadhaar authentication a voluntary option for candidates during national-level medical examinations conducted by the National Board of Examination in Medical Sciences (NBEMS). This new notification, which supersedes a previous one dated August 22, 2025, and is effective immediately, clarifies the conditions under which Aadhaar can be used for identity verification.
The decision is in line with the Aadhaar Authentication for Good Governance (Social Welfare, Innovation, Knowledge) Rules, 2020. The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, in consultation with the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI), has permitted the NBEMS to perform Aadhaar authentication on a voluntary basis for identity verification.
Key Provisions
- Voluntary Consent: The NBEMS must obtain the consent of the Aadhaar number holder for authentication purposes.
- Alternate Identification: The notification explicitly states that Aadhaar authentication is voluntary and that no service shall be denied to a candidate who is unable or unwilling to use it.
- Viable Alternatives: To ensure this, the NBEMS is required to inform candidates of other viable means of identification, such as a PAN card, Passport, Voter Identity Card, or Driving License.
This notification aims to strike a balance between leveraging Aadhaar for seamless identity verification and protecting individual choice by ensuring that it remains a voluntary method of authentication.