How Aadhaar, The Largest Biometric Database, Treated Man With 6 Fingers

Nashik, Maharashtra:  When Gurudayal Dilbagrai Trikha walked in to sign up for an Aadhaar card, the 36-year-old's extra finger on his left hand stuck out like a sore thumb. Mr Trikha, resident of Gandhi Nagar locality of Maharashtra's Nashik, was struggling for the past eight months to get an Aadhaar card, but he was turned away by several Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) registration centres because it was difficult to collect his fingerprints.

Among other biometric details, Aadhaar registration requires fingerprints of both hands.

What made the process difficult for Mr Trikha, he told PTI, was the fact that not only he has six fingers to his left hand, but the extra finger is joined to the thumb.

"I even met government officials, but to no avail," said Mr Trikha, who works with a private firm.

As it was a unique case, it attracted the attention of media and a Marathi news channel reported on his predicament.

Following which, he could finally register for Aadhaar at one of the centres yesterday where his fingerprints were accepted.

"I completed the whole process yesterday and hope to receive the Aadhaar card soon," he said.

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However, he feels that there would be many who would be finding it difficult to get Aadhaar card due to various kinds of disabilities, and the government must relax the rules in such cases.

"The system should be changed. At least for handicapped people and senior citizens, it should be made easier," Mr Trikha told PTI.