State Bank of India (SBI) proposes to introduce from July 1, 2017, a scheme for verifying the identity of candidates applying for all its recruitment processes through Aadhaar cards.

Accordingly, while applying for appointment, it will be mandatory to furnish the 12-digit Aadhaar number (or 28-digit Aadhaar enrollment ID in case the Aadhaar has been applied for, but not received).

The Aadhaar number will be used to match the biometric information taken through a biometric attendance system at the time of examination/ interview/ medical fitness test/ reporting for joining with that stored on the Aadhaar server, to establish the identity of the candidate.

The above provision is applicable in all states and union territories except Jammu & Kashmir, Meghalaya and Assam.

Applicants from these states may user voter IDs, passports, driving licenses or any other valid document, as may be specified in the recruitment notice, as proof of identity for future recruitment in SBI.

A relevant notice issued by the SBI Central Recruitment and Promotion Department said ascertaining the identity of candidates is critical for the fair conduct of the recruitment process and ruling out impersonation.

In this context, the department invoked the provisions of Aadhaar (Targeted Delivery of Financial and Other Subsidies, Benefits, and Services) Act, 2016 (the Aadhaar Act of 2016).

The regulations under the Act have come into effect on various dates as published in the Official Gazette.

It is pursuant to Section 57 of the Aadhaar Act of 2016, that SBI proposes to verify the identity of candidates through the Aadhaar number in all its recruitment processes from July 1.