Aadhaar update stuck for weeks? File an RTI to UIDAI and get a written answer in 30 days (2026 guide)

• myaadhaar.uidai.gov.in shows three states: “In Process”, “Approved”, “Rejected — reason given”. It almost never shows “why” while in process, even after weeks.
• 1947 / help[at]uidai.gov.in logs complaints — gives a docket but no SLA. Repeat escalation usually only generates more dockets.
• RTI forces UIDAI to put the reason in writing in 30 days under §7(1). For an update stuck >30 days, this is the fastest route, and is binding on UIDAI under the Act.

This is required by some Information Commissions before they admit appeals — show you tried the in-house route.

• myaadhaar.uidai.gov.in → “Check Aadhaar Update Status” → enter URN.
• 1947 — get a docket. Note the date and ID.
• help@uidai.gov.in — write a polite escalation citing the docket. Wait 7-14 days.
• UIDAI Regional Office (RO) — every region (Bengaluru, Chandigarh, Delhi, Guwahati, Hyderabad, Lucknow, Mumbai, Ranchi) has a Director and a public address. RO-wise contacts: uidai.gov.in → Contact Us → Regional Office.

If still stuck, file the RTI.

• Default PIO: the Assistant Director General (Technology / Operations) at the UIDAI Regional Office that handled your enrolment / update.
• Central PIO: Deputy Director, UIDAI Headquarters, 9th Floor, Tower-1, Jeevan Bharati Building, Connaught Place, New Delhi-110001.
• If unsure, file with the RO covering your enrolment state. RO will route or transfer if needed.

[Your full name as on Aadhaar]
[Address]
[Mobile] · [Email]
[Date]

To,
The Public Information Officer
Office of the Deputy Director General
Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI)
Regional Office, [city]
[address]

Subject: Application under RTI Act, 2005 regarding stuck Aadhaar update — URN [number]

Sir/Madam,

Under Section 6(1) of the Right to Information Act, 2005, I, [Name] (Aadhaar last 4 digits XXXX-XXXX-1234), respectfully request the following information regarding my Aadhaar update request URN [number] dated [date]:

1. The current status of my update request URN [number] in UIDAI's internal Operator-Quality (OQ) and Demographic Update System, including the date of last action and the present queue position.

2. The specific reason recorded for the request being in "In Process" state for [number] days, including any flag, query, or hold raised by any operator or supervisor.

3. The name and designation of the dealing operator/supervisor responsible for this URN in the past 30 days.

4. The standard service-level timeline prescribed by UIDAI for online demographic update requests of this type, and the reason if my case has exceeded that timeline.

5. A copy of the file noting / system audit trail on URN [number] from the date of submission until today.

6. The expected date by which my request will be approved or rejected, and the channel of communication for that decision.

I clarify that the information sought is about my own update request and is not (a) intelligence or security-related under §24 of the RTI Act, (b) third-party personal information under §8(1)(j), or (c) likely to endanger the life or safety of any person under §8(1)(g). It pertains exclusively to my own service request.

I enclose the prescribed fee of Rs. 10/- by IPO No. [number].

Yours faithfully,
[Signature]
[Name]

If your update is rejected (typical reasons: address proof not in name, photo blurred, biometric mismatch, name mismatch with proof), UIDAI sends an SMS with the rejection reason. Two routes:

1. Re-submit with corrected proof. No additional fee for online updates.
2. Appeal if you believe the rejection was wrong — file an RTI for the rejection rationale + appeal to the Director, UIDAI RO. The RTI reply gives you the exact reason; you address it specifically in the re-submission.

The Aadhaar PVC card (₹50) is dispatched by India Post within 5 working days of order. If it doesn't arrive in 30 days:

• Track on uidai.gov.in → “Check Aadhaar PVC Card Status” → enter SRN.
• If “Dispatched” but not delivered, lodge a complaint at the post office with the consignment number — postman has to redeliver or return.
• If “In Process” >15 days, file RTI with UIDAI for SRN file noting + dispatch reason.

• First Appeal under §19(1) to the First Appellate Authority — typically the Director, UIDAI RO — within 30 days.
• Second Appeal under §19(3) to the Central Information Commission within 90 days. Note: appeals against UIDAI go to the CIC since UIDAI is a central body.
• Penalty under §20 can be imposed on the PIO — up to ₹25,000 — if the CIC finds wilful delay.

• Filing RTI with the local CSC. CSCs are franchisees, not Public Authorities. Must go to UIDAI RO or HQ.
• Asking for biometric data. UIDAI will refuse under §8(1)(g) — life and safety. Don't ask; ask for status, reason, and file noting on your own request.
• Filing without URN. RTI without the specific URN/SRN cannot be processed — UIDAI cannot identify which case to look up. Always include the URN.
• Sending RTI to the central PIO when the case was at a regional office. Files sit at the RO that processed the enrolment/update. The HQ can transfer but it adds time.
• No fee proof. ₹10 IPO is the safest. Court Fee Stamp (state-specific) is not accepted by UIDAI — this is a central body. Use IPO or DD only.

• Aadhaar update fees (2025-26): ₹0 for online update of address (free post-2022), ₹50 for biometric update at enrolment centre, ₹50 for PVC card. Don't overpay.
• Always carry your enrolment/update receipt to any KYC office that asks for “updated Aadhaar” — banks/operators must accept the URN as proof of pending update under RBI/PMLA guidelines.
• PAN-Aadhaar linking is now mandatory for many services. Check pan-aadhaar status on incometax.gov.in → “Link Aadhaar”.
• If you used the wrong mobile during enrolment and have lost access to it, you cannot authenticate online — must visit an enrolment centre with biometric to update mobile (cannot be done online for the first time).

Q. Is UIDAI under the RTI Act? Yes — UIDAI is a “public authority” under §2(h) of the RTI Act. The narrow §24 exclusion applies only to “intelligence” and “security-related” matters. Status of your own update request is fully disclosable. The Central Information Commission has held this in multiple decisions.

Q. Can I use Aadhaar e-KYC for the RTI fee? No. ₹10 fee must be IPO, DD, or cash receipt. UIDAI does not accept online RTI fee payments via Aadhaar.

Q. The RO is in another state. Where do I file? File at the RO that handled your original enrolment (mentioned on your enrolment receipt). If you've moved, the RO of the state where you currently reside also has jurisdiction over update requests originating from that state.

Q. UIDAI refused my RTI saying “personal data”. Is that lawful? Only for third-party data. Information about your own request is not “third-party personal information” and the §8(1)(j) exemption doesn't apply. Cite this in your First Appeal.

Q. My update was rejected and I don't understand the reason. RTI can ask? Yes — ask for the specific deficiency in your proof, the reviewer's note, and the section/SOP citing the rejection criterion. UIDAI must give all three.

UIDAI runs the world's largest biometric ID system — at this scale, individual update requests get lost in the queue. The system has no transparent SLA visible to you on the portal, and the helpline is a black box. The RTI route is the only mechanism that legally compels UIDAI to put the reason in writing in 30 days. ₹10 of IPO has unstuck tens of thousands of cases. Don't wait three months — file the RTI on day 31.

• Aadhaar status / enrolment RTI
• Property mutation delay — RTI
• Section 8 grounds of refusal — what UIDAI can/can't refuse
• RTI fees by state and central

• RTI Act, 2005 §§2(h), 6, 7, 8(1)(g), 8(1)(j), 19, 20, 24
• UIDAI Regulations and SOPs
• Central Information Commission decisions on UIDAI matters
• KS Puttaswamy v Union of India, (2017) 10 SCC 1 (privacy as fundamental right; UIDAI subject to RTI for routine queries)

Last reviewed: 27 April 2026.