What happened
UIDAI uploaded a revised Aadhaar name-update SOP on 18 September 2026 that replaces the 2021 version and routes every request into its own document category.
Why it matters
Applicants correcting Aadhaar now need to match the right affidavit to their specific change before UIDAI processes the request.
Remember this
Aadhaar name changes now split into distinct affidavit categories, not one generic form.
More context & who is affected
UIDAI has published a new standard operating procedure for Aadhaar naming, uploaded to its circulars index on 18 September 2026. The document replaces the name-update process from the earlier SOP dated 28 October 2021 and sorts requests into distinct correction categories.
Each category has its own paperwork. An adult whose Aadhaar was entered wrongly despite a correct original document must file an Annexure B affidavit with Proof of Identity or Proof of Relationship; minors use the applicable Annexure C. A surname change following marriage or divorce needs an Annexure D affidavit plus Proof of Identity.
Expanding initials, reordering names, adding or dropping a middle or last name and correcting phonetically similar spellings count as minor changes, not a change of identity. A complete name replacement is a major change: it needs a Gazette notification and identity documents. Before processing, UIDAI checks the authenticity of each affidavit and document, and applicants submit requests at an Aadhaar Enrolment or Update Centre.
- SOP upload date
- 18 Sep 2026 UIDAI's circulars index lists the revised name-update SOP as uploaded on this date.NDTV
- Superseded SOP
- 28 Oct 2021 NDTV quotes the new circular as replacing the name-update process from this earlier SOP.NDTV
What changed
The revised SOP is uploaded to UIDAI's circulars index on 18 September 2026 and replaces the name-update process of the SOP dated 28 October 2021.
- 28 October 2021 — earlier name and gender exception-handling SOP.
- 18 September 2026 — revised Aadhaar name-update SOP uploaded to UIDAI's circulars index.
- On processing — UIDAI verifies each affidavit and document before updating the Aadhaar record.
Aadhaar Holders
Routine fixes like initial expansion or phonetic spelling corrections are treated as minor changes rather than an identity change.
Aadhaar Holders
A complete name replacement now needs a Gazette notification plus identity documents before UIDAI will act.
Parents And Guardians
Minors caught in data-entry errors have their own Annexure C route rather than being forced onto the adult form.
Sources & verification2 sources · 4 claims
These are the records behind this briefing. Linked reporting is not the same as independent confirmation.
- NDTVReporting
UIDAI Issues New Rules For Aadhaar Name Corrections: Here Is What Has Changed ↗
· Accessed Oct 6, 2026 - MintReportingPublished Oct 5, 2026 · Accessed Oct 6, 2026
Claims and linked sources
UIDAI's revised name-update SOP sorts requests into routine corrections, data-entry errors, marriage or divorce surname changes and complete name replacements, each with its own paper trail.
UIDAI's official circulars index lists the name-update SOP as uploaded on 18 September 2026; reporting also describes that date as when the revised procedure took effect.
The revised procedure replaces the name-update process of the earlier name and gender exception-handling SOP dated 28 October 2021.
Adults correcting data-entry errors file an Annexure B affidavit with Proof of Identity or Proof of Relationship; marital surname changes use an Annexure D affidavit with Proof of Identity; major name changes need a Gazette notification.
