A printout of the downloaded Aadhaar card, even in black and white form, is as valid as the original card and there is no concept such as smart or plastic card, the UIDAI said.

The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) has cautioned people about sharing their personal information with unauthorised agencies for printing Aadhaar numbers on a plastic card, while stressing that the Aadhaar letter, with its cutaway portion or the downloaded version, on an ordinary paper is “perfectly valid.”

Several agencies charge anywhere between ₹50 and ₹200, or more, for printing Aadhaar on a plastic card in the name of smart card.

“The Aadhaar card or the downloaded Aadhaar card printed on ordinary paper is perfectly valid for all uses. If a person has a paper Aadhaar printout, there is absolutely no need to get his/her Aadhaar card laminated or obtain a plastic Aadhaar card or so-called smart Aadhaar card by paying money. There is no concept such as smart or plastic Aadhaar card,” Dr. Ajay Bhushan Pandey, CEO of UIDAI, said in a statement.

The UIDAI has also warned unauthorised agencies that “collecting such information or unauthorised printing of Aadhaar card or aiding such persons in any manner amounts to a criminal offence punishable with imprisonment under the IPC and, also, Chapter VI of The Aadhaar (Targeted Delivery of Financial and Other Subsidies, Benefits and Services) Act, 2016.”

The UIDAI further said that if someone loses the Aadhaar printout, they could download it for free from the website. “The printout of the downloaded Aadhaar card, even in black and white form, is as valid as the original Aadhaar card sent by UIDAI,” it added.