A major technical issue on the Sarathi portal — used for applying online for driving licences (DL) — has left thousands of applicants stuck and frustrated across India. The problem stems from how Aadhaar details are being pulled into the system, blocking the submission of licence applications.

🧾 What Exactly Is the Problem?

Many applicants use Aadhaar e‑KYC (electronic Know Your Customer) to auto‑fill their details while applying for a licence on the Parivahan Sarathi portal. However, after recent changes in the Aadhaar format, the father’s name — a mandatory field for licence applications — is not being retrieved correctly because it’s no longer displayed separately on the updated Aadhaar data. As a result:

• The portal shows the father’s name field blank.
• Applicants cannot manually enter the missing detail.
• Applications cannot be submitted or processed further.

This technical hiccup has caused a large number of DL applications to stall, forcing people to visit RTO offices repeatedly instead of completing the process online — which defeats the purpose of wallet PLATFORM' target='_blank' title='digital-Latest Updates, Photos, Videos are a click away, CLICK NOW">digital india initiatives designed to simplify citizen services.

📍 Who Is Being Affected Most?

The glitch is impacting a wide range of applicants, including:

• First‑time licence seekers
• Learner’s licence applicants
• Rural and urban residents alike

Since many users rely on Aadhaar’s auto‑fetch feature to avoid manual data entry, the absence of the father’s name field has led to significant inconvenience, especially where time, travel and multiple visits to RTO offices are involved.

🛠️ Why Did This Happen?

The root cause seems to be a mismatch between updated Aadhaar data and the input requirements of the Sarathi portal:

• The Unique Identification Authority of india (UIDAI) recently removed the father’s name from the Aadhaar demographic export to standardise data and data-align with privacy norms.
• The Sarathi portal still requires father’s name as a mandatory field for licence applications.
• Because the Aadhaar backend doesn’t supply that field under the new format and the portal does not allow manual entry, the form submission gets blocked.

This incompatibility has resulted in applicants being unable to complete their licence applications even though all other information is correct.

📊 Citizens’ Reaction and Impact

Applicants and user‑groups have expressed strong dissatisfaction, highlighting that:

• Digital reforms intended to make services smoother have instead caused delays and extra costs (travel/time to RTOs).
• Many young drivers and rural citizens are especially frustrated with repeated visits just to fill a form that previously auto‑completed.
• Social and community groups have demanded swift bug fixes and interim solutions.

🧑‍⚖️ What Are the Demands for a Fix?

To resolve the crisis, public representatives and advocacy groups are pressing authorities to:

Allow manual entry of father’s name on the Sarathi portal if Aadhaar doesn’t supply it.

Update the software so the portal can fetch alternative Aadhaar fields or accept alternate proofs when father’s name is missing.

Provide a temporary workaround until the system is fully updated.

Ensure better coordination between UIDAI and the Ministry of Road Transport & Highways / National Informatics Centre (NIC) to avoid similar issues in future.

🗳️ What Citizens Can Do

If you’re facing this issue:

✔ Visit your local RTO office and explain the error — sometimes manual intervention helps process the application.
✔ Save any other identity documents that contain your father’s name (e.g., school certificates, passport) to support manual submission.
✔ Follow updates from the Parivahan or Sarathi portal — fixes may be released soon as developers address the code mismatch.
✔ For Aadhaar concerns generally, contact the UIDAI helpline at 1947 or check status online.

🧠 Key Takeaway

A technical glitch on the Sarathi driving licence portal caused by changes in how Aadhaar data is supplied has stalled thousands of licence applications. The main issue is that the portal requires a father’s name that the updated Aadhaar e‑KYC doesn’t provide, leading to forms not being accepted. Coordinated software updates and interim fixes are being demanded to restore smooth online service.

 

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