New Delhi, Dec 21 (IANS): The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) has announced that those above 18 years and wanting Aadhaar made for the first time will now be subjected to physical verification, with the consent of the state government, a UIDAI official said.

"There will be a passport-like verification system in place for those wanting their first Aadhaar after 18 years," said an official from UIDAI.

The state government will appoint nodal officers, additional district magistrates, at the district and sub-divisional levels for this purpose, the official added.

The Aadhaar facility for such individuals will be available at selected centres, including the main post office of each district and other Aadhaar centres identified by the UIDAI.

All Aadhaar requests from this category of people will go through data quality checks and then be routed for verification through the service portal. The Sub-Divisional Magistrates will ensure verification of all requests received at the service portal, and Aadhaar will be generated within 180 days of clearance.

Deputy Director General of UIDAI, Prashant Kumar Singh, said in a press statement that the new directives will only apply to those above 18 years of age getting their Aadhaar made for the first time.

"Once their Aadhaar is made, they too can subsequently get it updated through normal processes," he added.