5 Important Documents Every Indian Adult Must Have

If you haven’t got your Aadhar card made, good luck for all the complications you are going to face ahead.  Possessing documents is very crucial to ensure the smooth processing of all activities that you undertake, such as applying for a voter’s id or buying a property.

Documents are an individual’s crucial identity proof. They authenticate the very existence of a person. If you fail to provide them, you won’t be able to get any work done. In India, these days, we require these identity documents for every small thing like buying a new SIM card.  

There are 5 most important documents that are asked for submission purpose very frequently to every Indian. Make sure you have them and if not apply for it now. To start with….

1. Aadhar Card

Even if you fail to provide other documents, but have an Aadhar card, your ship can still sail. Yes! Aadhar card has gained that level of importance over the years. Holding an Aadhar card entitles one to many government facilities and benefits. An Aadhar card is a card that assigns a 12-digit Aadhar number to every citizen of the country. This card is generated after collecting biometric data. i.e fingerprints and retina scan and is produced to the applicant after it receives approval from the UIDAI (Unique Identification Authority of India). The card also holds other data like the address of the cardholder and QR code. An Aadhar card is basically an identity card of every Indian citizen that is accepted across the nation.

Basic guidelines to apply online for an Aadhar Card: (Visit: https://uidai.gov.in/my-aadhaar/get-aadhaar.html)

• Find an Aadhar centre near you.
• Fill in the application form
• Visit the centre. Submit the form. Make sure to attach the required documents. Give you biometric data. A photograph of yours will also be taken.
• After all your data gets collected, you will be provided with an enrollment/acknowledgement slip. This will have a 14-digit number, which is to be used to track the status of your Aadhar application process.
• You will be expected to preserve this slip till you receive your Aadhar card.

2. PAN (Permanent Account Number) Card

This unique 10 digit alpha numeric identity card is issued by the Income Tax Department of India. Those Indians whose income is taxable require a PAN card.  A  PAN card is not only issued to individuals but also to companies and business enterprises. A PAN card is used for various purposes like buying and selling of  a vehicle, opening a bank account, making financial transaction of 50,000 rupees or more, making insurance related payments, etc. A PAN card stores an individual’s tax related data.

 Basic guidelines to apply online for a PAN card:

Online application:

• One can apply for a PAN card online via  https://tin.tin.nsdl.com/pan/index.html or https://www.utiitsl.com/UTIITSL_SITE/pan/index.jsp​​​​​​​​ and simply follow the instructions further.
• The residents of the country, form 49A must be filled, and for the non-residents and foreign nationals, form 49AA is to be filled.
• Those applying for a PAN card have to pay its minimal fee as well.

3. Voter’s ID

Also known as EPIC (Electors Photo Identity Card), the voter’s ID, a card issued by the Election Commission of India to those above 18, grants the rights to exercise their fundamental right of voting and choosing the government for the country. The card also serves other purposes like age proof, identity proof, and address proof.

Basic guidelines to apply online for a voter’s ID:

• In order to apply for a voter’s id, those applying for the first time need to fill up Form 6 (https://www.nvsp.in/Forms/Forms/form6?lang=en-GB)
• Non-residents need to fill up Form 6A (https://www.nvsp.in/Forms/Forms/form6a?lang=en-GB)
• Those who have changed their name, address, gender, etc need to fill up Form 8 (https://www.nvsp.in/Forms/Forms/form8)

4. Passport

If you intend on travelling abroad, it is mandatory for you to have a passport. The Indian Passport is issued by the Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India, to the Indian citizens, which enables them to travel to foreign countries. It is the only document that strongly confirms the person’s citizenship and nationality.

Basic guidelines to apply online for a Passport:

• The Passport Seva website enables one to apply online and fill up the form after registering oneself on their portal.
• Following this, the applicant should hit the apply button to fill in the form and follow the instructions given.
• Next, the applicant should submit the form and book/fix an appointment. The applicant also needs to pay a minimal application fee.
• After this, the Application Receipt has to be printed which produces the Application Reference Number (ARN)
• Next, on the date of the booked appointment, the applicant must visit the Passport Seva Kendra or the Regional Passport Office along with the original documents for verification purpose.

5. Ration Card

It is a card issued by the state government that acts as a proof of nationality. Ration cards are of different kinds and are assigned based on each person’s economic status and income capacity. Ration cards also entitle households to Government benefits.

Basic guidelines to apply for a Ration Card:

The procedure of application for a Ration card differs from state to state.

Detailed information about applying for the above mentioned documents have been given on their respective official websites.