RRB exam: Aadhar Card mandatory for all railway recruitment tests

Going forward, candidates appearing for any Railway Recruitment Boards (RRBs) examination will have to provide their 12 digit Aadhaar number or 28 digit Aadhaar registration receipt at the time of filling up the application forms. The Board recently announced the results of RRB NTPC Stage I exam. Candidates shortlisted for RRB NTPC Stage 2 exam may also have to furnish their Aadhar card details.

However, candidates from Jammu and Kashmir, Meghalaya and Assam have been exempted from this. Applicants from these states will have to furnish valid passport number, Voter-ID Card No., Driving license No. or any other valid Government identity Card No while filling up online application form.

In a notification, the Railway Board stated that Aadhaar number is a convenient and hassle free mode of verification of identity and it helps avoid cases of candidate impersonation. "During the exam, through a biometric attendance system, their fingerprints can be collected and matched with the one stored with the Aadhaar server. All eligible candidates desiring to apply for the posts of Railway Recruitment Boards are requested to visit the Aadhaar Enrolment centers to get them enrolled for Aadhaar," says RRB.

According to the Board, "The provisions of the Aadhaar Act and the Regulations under the Act have come into effect from 14 September 2016 and notifications to this effect have been published in the Official Gazette. Section 57 of the Aadhaar Act 2016 permits the use of Aadhaar number for establishing the identity of an individual for any purpose pursuant to any law or any contract to this effect. Accordingly, Railway Recruitment Boards have decided that in all future railway recruitments, the applicants shall be required to furnish his /her 12 digit Aadhaar number or 28 digit Aadhaar registration receipt at the time of filling up the application."

The Board further stated, "Ascertaining the identities of candidates at examination is critical for fair conduct of Railway Recruitment Boards (RRBs) examination and prevention of attempts at impersonation. For candidates also the use of Aadhaar is a convenient and hassle free mode of verification of identity.