Aadhaar has become mandatory at all places now. From tax filing to availing social security schemes, it is now a crucial document in almost every sphere of our life these days. The government in the year 2017 had announced that it is mandatory to link mobile numbers with Aadhaar.

Linking Aadhaar with the mobile number required your biometrics information until November when the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI said that users would no longer be required to give in their biometric details and that from December 1 you can do it “from comfort of your home through OTP received on mobile number registered with Aadhaar.” In simple words it would allow users to re-verify the linking process via OTP. The authority has today finally tweeted new directives for telcos to facilitate the Aadhaar-mobile linking via OTP.

The government body has asked the telcos in India to generate OTP either through telco’s website or through the Interactive Voice Response (IVR) services for the linking process.

This move will ease the mobile-Aadhaar linking process and would also come as a relief to any who have yet not linked their mobile numbers to UID. The process would also speed up the process.

So this is how it will work: Idea, Airtel and Idea users can call on 14546 to link their phone number with Aadhaar. Those who have already linked their numbers with Aadhaar will be informed so while those who haven’t will be asked to complete the process before February 6, 2018.

Meanwhile here’s how the Aadhaar-mobile linking is done currently:

— Download an Aadhaar form from the UIDAI website.

— Fill the form and carry it to the nearest Adhaar centre.

— Also submit the photocopy of your Aadhaar card and any identity proof document such as PAN card or voter ID card.

— You will be asked to give your thump impression for biometric verification

— You will be handed an acknowledge slip once your biometric is verified. The updation time period is 10 days.