30 July,2026 08:36 AM IST | Mumbai | Vinod Kumar Menon
Nayan and Bela Shah with their 36-year-old son Devarth at their home in Girgaum; (below) Nayan and Bela Shah with their son, Devarth Shah, at their Girgaum residence, displaying domicile documents that helped establish his identity. Pics/Sayyed Sameer Abedi
For 36-year-old Mumbai resident Devrath Shah, obtaining an Aadhar card had remained an impossible task for years. His severe disability prevented standard biometric authentication, leaving him without a government identity document and blocking access to several essential services.
That changed after intervention by the Bombay High Court, the District Legal Services Authority (DLSA), UIDAI officials and authorities who worked together to help Devrath complete the enrolment process from his home.
Following a Mid-Day report published on July 25 titled âWho will care for him after us', which highlighted the struggles of Devrath and his ageing parents, the administrative intervention by Bombay High Court directed the Mumbai District Legal Services Authority to examine the matter.
Within days, the legal aid authorities arranged the necessary documentation and facilitated a home-based Aadhaar enrolment using a portable biometric kit. On July 29, UIDAI generated Devrath's 12-digit unique identification number, giving him a permanent Aadhaar identity. The physical Aadhaar card will be delivered to the family soon.
For the Shah family, the development marks the end of a long and frustrating battle. The document will allow them to reactivate Devrath's dormant bank account, apply for a permanent disability certificate and seek government welfare, healthcare and social security benefits that were previously inaccessible.
Without an Aadhaar card, Devrath could not
>> Reactivate his dormant Bank of Baroda account
>> Obtain a permanent disability certificate
>> Apply for disability pension and welfare schemes
>> Access several Aadhaar-linked government services
Soon after the Mid-Day report brought attention to the issue, the Bombay High Court asked the Mumbai District Legal Services Authority (DLSA) to step in.
Mayur Kame, a para-legal volunteer attached to DLSA, Mazgaon Court, visited the Shah family's residence in Khetwadi, Girgaum, and collected the required details. Since Devrath did not have a domicile certificate, the first challenge was completing the documentation needed for Aadhaar enrolment.
The authorities submitted the necessary documents through the Setu system, and Devrath's domicile certificate was issued within a day.
After this, Aadhaar officials began the enrolment process. Since Devrath's fingerprints were unclear due to his medical condition, officials relied on iris authentication. Several attempts were made before the biometric process was successfully completed.
Mid-Day has seen the copies of Devrath's domicile certificate and Aadhaar card issued by the authorities. The documents have not been published in order to protect Devrath's personal information.
On July 27 afternoon, a special Aadhaar team along with Mayur Kame arrived at the Shah family's home carrying a portable enrolment kit.
Despite the difficulty caused by Devrath's condition, officials patiently attempted biometric capture multiple times. They eventually succeeded in recording his iris scan and obtaining a partial fingerprint impression.
The officials informed the family that the enrolment had been completed and that the Aadhaar card would be issued shortly.
For Nayan and Bela Shah, who have spent nearly four decades caring for their son, the moment brought renewed hope. A wheelchair was also donated to Devrath by DLSA, Mumbai.
With Aadhaar now secured, the Shah family has begun planning the next steps for Devrath's future.
Their priorities include:
Reactivating Devrath's dormant savings account with Bank of Baroda so banking facilities can resume.
Obtaining a permanent disability certificate from JJ Hospital.
Applying for government welfare schemes, disability benefits and pension support.
Ensuring continued access to healthcare and social security services linked to Aadhaar.
"We do not want to hurry. We will go step by step. Everything will happen once the Aadhaar is issued to him," said Devrath's father, Nayan Shah.
Recalling years of unsuccessful attempts, Nayan said the family had repeatedly approached authorities since the Covid period but could not complete the enrolment process.
"We had been trying since the Covid period. For the last three to four years we kept making rounds, but nothing was happening. We had almost given up hope. After the article was published in mid-day, everything started moving," he said.
He added, "The officials came home, completed the domicile certificate immediately and later brought the Aadhaar kit. They made several attempts to capture the iris and fingerprints and finally succeeded. They did not charge us a single rupee."
Nayan said Aadhaar would now help unlock essential services for his son. "Once the Aadhaar card arrives, our first step will be to reactivate his Bank of Baroda account. Then we will approach JJ Hospital for a permanent disability certificate and subsequently apply for government schemes and benefits meant for persons with disabilities. We will move forward step by step," he said.
For Bela Shah, the development was an emotional milestone.
"For the first time, my son will have his own government identity document. I am extremely happy. This document will help him receive the recognition and benefits that he deserves," she said.
Bela has devoted her life to caring for Devrath, who suffered a brain haemorrhage within 12 hours after birth, leaving him severely disabled and dependent on his parents. Now in their sixties, Nayan and Bela's biggest concern has been ensuring their son's future after they are no longer able to care for him.
Pavan Tapadiya, Secretary, DLSA Mumbai, confirmed that UIDAI generated Devrath's Aadhaar number on Wednesday.
"The 12-digit unique identification number was generated by UIDAI on Wednesday (July 29), thereby giving Devrath a permanent Aadhaar ID. The official Aadhaar card will be received by the family soon," he said.
Tapadiya added that the NALSA Scheme for Persons with Mental Illness and Intellectual Disabilities, 2024, aims to ensure legal support for vulnerable persons. "Our para-legal volunteer Mayur Kame visited the family's home to provide assistance, and we will ensure that Devrath receives all necessary support to avail himself of other government welfare and social security benefits," he said.
Additional Collector, Mumbai City, Bappasaheb Thorat, said the authorities would assist the family further. He explained that the domicile certificate was issued after the required documentation was completed and that Aadhaar enrolment was challenging because of unclear fingerprints. "The enrolment was ultimately completed using an iris scan after numerous attempts," he said.
Thorat also assured assistance in obtaining a disability certificate and checking Devrath's eligibility for the Sanjay Gandhi Disability Pension Scheme, which provides a monthly pension of Rs 2,500 for eligible beneficiaries.
Disability rights advocate and Bombay High Court counsel Jamshed Mistry said the doorstep Aadhaar enrolment process was a welcome step and should become standard practice in exceptional cases.
"The Maharashtra Government had formulated this practice of house visits during Covid for persons with disabilities. This happened because of a public interest litigation heard by the Bombay High Court during the pandemic," he said.
Jamshed Mistry, disability rights advocate and Bombay High Court counsel
"The Maharashtra Government had formulated this practice of house visits during Covid for persons with disabilities. This happened because of a public interest litigation heard by the Bombay High Court during the pandemic."
He said doorstep Aadhaar enrolment should become standard practice for people with severe disabilities who cannot visit enrolment centres.
Bombay High Court directed legal aid authorities to intervene after Mid-Day highlighted the issue.
DLSA officials visited the Shah residence and expedited documentation.
Domicile certificate was issued within a day.
Aadhaar officials conducted home enrolment using a portable biometric kit.
Iris scan and partial fingerprints were successfully captured.
UIDAI generated Devrath's 12-digit Aadhaar ID.
Family will now pursue banking access, disability certification and welfare benefits.
Age: 36
Residence: Khetwadi, Girgaum
Aadhaar: July 29 generated
Years without Aadhaar: Around 4
Enrolment: Home visit using portable biometric kit
Next step: Disability certificate, banking, and welfare benefits
