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Category: Government Documents of India

Who doesn’t relate to the reluctance of obtaining government documents? The long queues, the confusing application forms, the wait, the cluelessness, everything seems to be working against you and could very well put you off from ever getting one.

Unfortunately, we can’t really do without them or could miss out on some really thoughtful governmental initiatives and programs.

Government documents aren’t something that lie on an old, dusty shelf. These are frequently checked & verified and are even mandatory in many places. Apart from this, there might be quite a handful of benefits you’re missing out on because you haven’t obtained one such document. 

It’s unimaginably simpler to apply for and get a government document issued. Read on to find out everything there’s to know about Government Documents.

 

The necessity of government documents like Aadhar card, PAN card, Ration card, Passport

Government documents are usually maintained to facilitate the smooth working of the government departments. For example, introducing Ration cards was an attempt to eliminate the possibility of famine across the country.

 The Government issued Voter ID Cards to keep track of all legitimate voters and prevent redundant votes by the same person. This problem has been prevalent in a lot of government databases. Similarly, Aadhar cards were issued to minimize duplicate records.

 Driving licences acknowledge that an individual can handle vehicles and has the right age to do so legally. Permanent Account Number (PAN) help government organisations to collect data of the taxpayers while passports affirm that an individual has the mentioned nationality and can legally travel to other countries.

 Thus, government documents facilitate the maintenance and organization of unbelievably huge databases of more than a billion people. They streamline, or rather make it possible to carry out processes that would have otherwise been impossible.

 

Why do you need documents like Voter ID, Aadhar Card, and others?

 Government documents are the most widely accepted records for proof of identity & citizenship. The Aadhaar card certifies that you are a legitimate citizen of India. To prove your identity, all you need is your Aadhaar or Voter ID card or any other such government document.

 Similarly, a ration card is a necessary document for you to purchase essential food items at subsidized rates. 

A passport is absolutely necessary for international travel. You simply cannot embark on one such journey without producing your valid passport at the airport. And it works as your identity proof at any other place as well.

 It’ll be illegal for you to drive on the roads if you don’t have a driving licence. You will not be allowed to cast a vote if you don’t have a Voter ID Card. At first look, government documents might not seem a necessity but clearly one can’t do a lot of things without using them.

 Thus, you should get your Government Documents issued if you haven’t already since they are used and checked quite frequently in all spheres.

 

The first documents 

 

Passport:

A passport is a document provided to the citizens for international travel. These are issued by a country’s government and verify the identity & nationality of the passport holder. Through a passport, one can also open a bank account outside the country.

 Passports are essentially small booklets that contain the passport number, name, place & date of birth, date of issue & expiry, photograph & signature of the bearer. It also serves as ID proof & age proof whenever required. People need a passport even during authentication for a work permit or school enrollment.

 

Ration Card:

A Ration Card is one of the oldest government documents introduced for the population. It enables the citizens to purchase essentials at subsidized rates approved by the government. These are especially useful for households with lower monetary incomes that may not be able to afford a healthy amount of food resources, amongst many other things. 

Although the most common use of a Ration Card is to help poor households get proper nutrition, it also acts as proof of your identity and residence. It is valid proof if you are applying for another government document, some examples being a domicile certificate & a voter ID Card.

 

PAN Card:

A PAN or Permanent Account Number is essential for the citizens of a country. It is a unique 10-digit alphanumeric value that lets the Government identify taxpayers and link all tax-related data to a single PAN. 

 The PAN acts as a primary key for storing data across the country, which is why there can’t be two people or tax-paying entities that have the same PAN.

 

Other important documents

 Aadhaar Card: 

Every resident of India receives a 12-digit random number with the Aadhar card. UIDAI uses these Aadhaar numbers to record essential identification data about the concerned person, such as the name, address, photograph, contact number & biometric data.

Any resident of India can opt for an Aadhaar number, irrespective of age or gender. However, a person can be enrolled just once since the objective of having an Aadhaar Card is to de-duplicate data and achieve uniqueness. As a result, no person can have more than one Aadhaar number.

 

Voter ID Card:

A Voter ID Card, also known as the Elector’s Photo Identity Card (EPIC), is a photo ID card issued to all voters by the Election Commission of India. It contains the EPIC Number and details such as the person’s date of birth, residential address, and constituency.

The Voter ID is considered as identity proof for all Indians older than 18 years.

 A Voter ID Card affirms that the cardholder is a registered voter. It includes identification data such as a signature, photograph & fingerprints. The card also prevents the holder from casting multiple votes and is essential for identification for remote voters.

 

Driving Licence:

 A Driving Licence is a document required by anyone who wants to drive a two-wheeler or a four-wheeler legally. The applicant must be at least 16 years old to get a driving licence for a non-geared vehicle and at least 18 years for vehicles with gears.

 There are three types of driving licences: a Learner’s licence, a Permanent licence & a commercial licence. Apart from being a compulsory requirement for legally driving, a driving licence is a valid photo ID proof at every high-security event. So, it’s a document an adult citizen needs to have.

 

Technical Upgrades in the process

Thanks to the Digital India Campaign, technology is picking up the pace. From small-scale stores to multinational companies, development is increasing exponentially.

The Government is one of the leaders in technological advancements, and paperless governance provides the perfect platform.

Earlier, application processes used to be complicated, lengthy & exhausting. You’d have to fill out a physical application form, submit it to the relevant authorities and proceed according to further intimation. 

This elaborate process would take days and the verification would take an additional couple of weeks before you’d be issued the document. This process used to be tiring and somewhat risky because there always was a chance of misplacing the documents.

All these troubles have been put to sleep, thanks to the rapid advancements in technology. You can apply for most, if not all, government documents through online portals at your convenience. 

Online application submission and verification of documents has made the entire process smoother, faster and hassle-free. Moreover, with no risk of misplacing any of the documents, it is much safer and convenient to apply online and get them delivered to your doorstep.

Cloud storage allows the Government to create and provide digital versions of several necessary documents. It further makes it easier for people to access them portably.

 

Significance of linking documents

The world is moving towards an era of paperless documentation and mass digitization. The Indian Government wants to emerge with the perfected version of paperless governance and keep up with other countries. Making important Government documents digital is a big step towards this goal.

 The DigiLocker system is a way to accomplish this. It acts as the digital medium for the legal issuance of documents, thus eliminating the necessity of physical documentation. 

Any Indian Citizen can sign up at DigiLocker using their Aadhar to get a dedicated cloud storage space.

Organizations can directly push the digital version of a person’s documents linked to the specified Aadhar number directly in their cloud storage

However, this facility needs the person to link their documents with their Aadhar Number. Without it, government documents can not be traced, thus rendering the system unusable.

Hence, it is essential to link all your documents to your Aadhar. That will make them accessible on the go.

Although these documents are usually similar for most people, note that some of them can have several types. For example, Ration cards can be white or coloured; it depends whether you’re above the poverty line or below it. 

Similarly, regular citizens have a Blue Passport, while government officials have a White or a Maroon Passport, depending on their status. Moreover, people can also have a commercial driving licence, according to their requirements.