What is Masked Aadhaar card? Here's how you can download it

More than an official document, the Aadhaar card has become an absolute necessity for Indians. Over the years, Aadhaar has become the most important document for identification. 

Whether opening a bank account to investing in a government scheme, the Aadhaar always comes in handy. But this also means keeping the Aadhaar with you at all times and it can be a little risky. The Aadhaar is issued by the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) and consists of a unique 12 digit number. 

To keep subscribers safe, UIDAI has now introduced 'Masked Aadhaar'. In this, only the last 4 digits of the Aadhaar number are visible. The first 8 digits, considered as base numbers are written as 'xxxx-xxxx' so that they are not visible to anyone else. This will prevent the Aadhaar from being misused. 

Here's how can you download a Masked Aadhaar: 

- Visit the official website of UIDAI and click on the 'Download Aadhaar' option

- Then select the option of Aadhar / VID / Enrollment ID and tick the Masked Aadhar option

- Enter the required details and click on 'Request OTP'

- An OTP will be sent to your Aadhaar linked mobile number

- Enter the OTP and other details and click on 'Download Aadhaar'

- After this, you can download your Masked Aadhaar

The Aadhaar will be downloaded in PDF format and it will be secured by a password. The password will be available in the mail that you will receive.