News · eGov
Nagaland's Home Department has ordered all government departments, district administrations and implementing agencies to treat Aadhaar App verifiable credentials on par with other recognised Aadhaar formats.
✦ AI SUMMARY 30-second read
- The Home Department order applies to all state departments, district administrations and implementing agencies across Nagaland.
- Credentials displayed, shared or verified through the Aadhaar App are now valid identity proof equal to formats such as e-Aadhaar, masked e-Aadhaar, Aadhaar PVC card and m-Aadhaar.
- The state directive follows UIDAI Aadhaar Usage Division Circular No. HQ-30011/3/2025-AU-HO dated 30th April, 2026.
Why it matters: The order extends official recognition of app-based digital identity in Nagaland, widening the channels through which residents can establish identity in government settings.
This summary was generated by AI. Editors may review and update it.
Nagaland's Home Department has instructed all government departments, district administrations and implementing agencies across the state to accept Aadhaar App verifiable credentials as valid proof of identity. The order, issued on a Tuesday, places app-based identity presentation on equal footing with other officially recognised Aadhaar formats.
The directive stems from a UIDAI circular issued as part of efforts to expand digital enablement. State departments and field agencies must now accept Aadhaar credentials displayed, shared or verified through the app wherever identity proof is required in official settings.
What was announced
The Home Department stated that Aadhaar Verifiable Credentials shown, shared or verified through the Aadhaar App shall be treated as valid identity proof. It called on all concerned departments and agencies to ensure strict compliance with this requirement.
The order rests on UIDAI Aadhaar Usage Division Circular No. HQ-30011/3/2025-AU-HO dated 30th April, 2026, which the Department of Information and Public Relations linked to UIDAI's broader digital enablement drive.
About the Aadhaar App
The Aadhaar App, available on Android and iOS, allows cardholders to present, share and verify their identity digitally. It supports both full and partial sharing of identity details as Aadhaar Verifiable Credentials.
Information shared through the app is legally valid under the Information Technology Act, 2000, which recognises records in electronic form. UIDAI has confirmed that credentials issued through the app carry the same validity as the Aadhaar letter, e-Aadhaar, masked e-Aadhaar, Aadhaar PVC card and m-Aadhaar.
An Offline Verification Seeking Entity will not receive a holder's full 12-digit Aadhaar number when identity details are shared through the app, the Department of Information and Public Relations noted.
Separate Aadhaar-linked policy shift at the Centre
A distinct development has also emerged at the national level. Union Minister Rajiv Ranjan Singh, who holds the portfolios of Panchayati Raj, Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, stated on 30 October that people receiving payments under several schemes through Aadhaar-linked accounts would soon need biometrics and voter ID, or EPIC numbers, to collect the money.
Singh made these remarks at the inauguration of the National Workshop on People's Plan Campaign 2026–27. He indicated that biometric authentication and voter ID EPIC numbers would replace Aadhaar for identity verification in beneficiary payments under the schemes he referenced.
What happens next
All departments, district administrations and implementing agencies in Nagaland are required to ensure compliance with the new directive. Elets will update this story as further details emerge.