New Delhi, July 5: Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in her maiden Budget 2019 speech on Friday eased the waiting time for getting Aadhaar card for non-resident Indians (NRSs). Sitharaman proposed to issue Aadhaar cards to non-resident Indians holding Indian passport on their arrival in the country. Under the present rule, NRIs with Indian passport are required to wait for 180 days to get the Aadhaar card.

"I propose to consider issuing Aadhaar to NRIs with Indian passports after their arrival in India without waiting for mandatory 180 days", Sitharaman said in her Budget speech. The UIDAI is mandated to issue an easily verifiable 12 digit random number as Unique Identity - Aadhaar to all Residents of India. Catch Live Updates of Budget 2019 Here.

Aadhaar is a 12-digit unique identification number issued by the UIDAI on  behalf of the Government of India.As per the Aadhaar (Targeted Delivery of Financial and Other Subsidies, Benefits and Services) Act, 2016, only a resident who has resided in India for a period or periods amounting in all to 182 days or more in the 12 months immediately preceding the date of application for enrollment is eligible for Aadhaar.

Who is a Resident and Who is an NRI

According to details of the Aadhaar Act, 2016, every resident can apply for the 12 digit biometric ID. A resident is an individual who has been living in the country for 182 days or more in the year immediately preceding the date of application for enrolment. Therefore, if a Non-Resident Indian has lived in the country for 182 days or more in the last one year right before the date of application for enrolment, then the NRI can apply for Aadhaar.

If the NRI has not lived in the country for at least 182 days in the last 12 months, although being a citizen of India, the individual will not become eligible to avail Aadhaar. The NRI will have to wait to complete 182 days of stay in India to apply for Aadhaar.

Presenting her first Union Budget, Sitharaman on Friday said that India will become a $3 trillion economy in the financial year 2019-2020. The Union Finance Minister also said that many structural changes are needed for the country to become a $5 trillion economy, adding the target is eminently achievable.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jul 05, 2019 12:26 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).