Now link your mobile number to Aadhaar sitting at home: Here's how

All mobile users need to link their Aadhaar cards with mobile SIM cards by February 6, 2018, as per a government directive. For the ease of mobile phone subscribers, the government has announced some new ways to link mobile SIMs with Aadhaar (called reverification of SIMs). These new mechanisms have come into effect from December 1.

Courtesy these new linking methods, mobile users no longer need to visit stores of their telecom service provider and can avail OTP-based service to link their 12-digit Aadhaar with mobile number. In a tweet, UIDAI said that from Dec 1 2017, mobile subscribers can also choose to verify their mobile SIM with Aadhaar without giving their biometrics to telecom service providers.

There are two ways to do this: One, subscribers can now do the verification process online (on telecom service provider's website). Two, Aadhaar verification can also be done using telco's voice-based IVR helpline.

Here's a step-by-step method of how to go about these two processes

Online Website Guide.

1. Mobile subscribers need to enter their mobile number (the one they want to verify) on telecom service provider's (says Airtel, Vodafone, Reliance Jio or Idea) website.
2. The telecom service provider (TSP) will then send an OTP (one-time password) on the mobile number entered on the website. The mobile subscriber then needs to submit the same on the website.
3. A 'consent message' will then appear on the website. The subscriber then needs to enter his/her Aadhaar number after properly checking the 'consent box'.
4. The telecom service provider will then send an OTP request to UIDAI.
5. If there is any mobile number registered with that Aadhaar number, the mobile subscriber will receive the OTP on it.
6. The subscriber will also receive a 'consent message' about his e-KYC details from UIDAI. He/she needs to enter the OTP after accepting the required terms and conditions.
7. Once accepted, the authentication and confirmation will then be sent to the mobile subscriber saying that the number has been re-verified with the related Aadhaar number.

IVR Based Method.

1.      The second method is via telecom service provider's voice-based IVR helpline.

2.      The telecom service provider's IVR will play the 'consent message' and ask the subscriber to provide his/her mobile number.

3.      An OTP request will then be sent to the UIDAI to verify the Aadhaar number linked to that account.

4.      OTP message will appear on the mobile number linked to the respective Aadhaar card. A 'consent message' will again be played on IVR.

5.      The mobile subscriber will have to share the OTP received on IVR. If correct, the subscriber's e-KYC details will be fetched from UIDAI.

6.      If the e-KYC details fetched are correct, successful 'mobile re-verification' message will appear on IVR. An SMS notification too will be received on the subscriber’s mobile number.