Different Names In The PAN/AADHAR CARD/EPFO Is Different -

Dear All,

I am trying to upload my Aadhar/PAN in the UAN portal but continually it is saying "Aadhar authorization error" and "Pan verification failed. (Name against UAN does not match with the NAME in the Income Tax Department)".

As per my education certificates, the name mentioned is SUDHAKAR P S V:
01) UAN portal name: POLAMARA SETTI S V SUDHAKAR
02) AADHAR NAME: P S V SUDHAKAR
03) PAN NAME: PULAMERSETTI SANDI VENKAT SUDHAKAR

Could anybody please advise on how to resolve the issue for changing the name in all the above documents?

Regards,
Sudhakar

To change your name in EPFO/PAN as per your Aadhar, you need to follow specific steps and procedures. Firstly, you must ensure that your Aadhar card reflects the correct name that you want to update in your EPFO and PAN records. Once your Aadhar card has the accurate name, you can proceed with the name change process.

For EPFO, you will need to fill out a name change request form and submit it along with necessary supporting documents, including your Aadhar card and any other required identification proofs. It's essential to follow the guidelines provided by EPFO to ensure a smooth name change process.

Similarly, for PAN card name change, you will have to fill out the PAN correction form, provide your Aadhar details, and submit the form along with the required documents to the designated PAN card office. Make sure to double-check all the information provided to avoid any delays or rejections in the name change process.

Overall, ensuring consistency in your name across all official documents like Aadhar, EPFO, and PAN is crucial for smooth financial transactions and legal purposes.

Please fill out the form and submit it to your local PF office. Since EPFO is Aadhar-linked now, it's better to provide a copy of your Aadhar card along with the form.

Dear Sudhakar,

This is a very common problem for the majority of Indians. The NAME, DOB, and FATHER'S NAME as recorded in educational certificates, which are the first records for any individual, should match all other subsequent records, such as Aadhaar, PAN, EPFO, ESIC, etc. EPFO is even issuing show-cause notices to many employers for failing to upload the KYC of employees, which is essentially provided by the employee to the employer. According to EPFO, the employer is responsible for uploading the KYC correctly. However, the majority of employees cannot grasp the gravity of the problem, resulting in mismatched information across different documents. Only qualified and computer-savvy employees are able to rectify this through the employee portal, but a significant number of EPFO members lack the capability to do so. Even when good employers make an effort to rectify the discrepancies, they often face challenges due to the conflicting data provided by employees. If one desires to change their name, DOB, etc., as per their educational records (the preferred option), it can be time-consuming to seek the necessary changes from different authorities.

It is now essential to launch a nationwide campaign to educate people about this issue.

In your case, you can access the employee portal and navigate to modify basic details to update your name and DOB as per your Aadhaar. However, there may still be a mismatch in your PAN details, which will need correction by applying to the PAN authorities. Ultimately, there may still be inconsistencies between your educational records and other documents like EPFO, Aadhaar, and PAN, which is not ideal.

If others have any opinions, we request them to share their suggestions on Cite-hr.

Thanks & Regards,
S K Bandyopadhyay (West Bengal)
USD HR Solutions

Email: skb@usdhrs.in
Website: www.usdhrs.in

You can correct your name at any Aadhaar center to match your PAN card. Then, by using the name change correction form, you can update your name accurately in your PF account.

N. Nataraajhan
Sakthi Management Services

Dear Anonymous (Mr. Sudhakar),

As brought out by Mr. S K Bandyopadhyay, this is a major problem being faced by many employees. If you look into the history & databases of each of these things, you will understand the problem.

a) First came PAN. In the PAN Database, they DO NOT accept initials; only full expansions are permitted. However, there is an option for PAN holders to get their name PRINTED on the card as per their choice. SO many people print the initials on the card and end up thinking that their name in the PAN database is as printed on the card. REMEMBER, the PAN DATABASE has your full name.

b) Then came AADHAAR. Now, AADHAAR accepts initials, special characters, etc., in its DATABASE. At this point in time, there was no thought of linking PAN & AADHAAR.

c) Then came PAN-AADHAAR Linking. The same issues of name mismatch happened here too. But based on customer complaints and feedback, Ministry of Finance & Income Tax Dept made a "work-around" to enable people to still link AADHAAR & PAN despite differences in their underlying Databases. This was a proactive step due to pressure from customers, the deadline to link PAN & AADHAAR, and SIMPLE acceptance of the FACT that fundamental differences exist in the way PAN & AADHAAR databases are created.

d) Then came UAN-AADHAAR Linking (Primary KYC for UAN). New members are inevitably enrolled as per the AADHAAR card presented by the employee. But for secondary KYC (PAN), the differences in name crop up. AND unfortunately, EPFO has not yet woken up to this massive GAP in the desired condition (UAN-AADHAAR-PAN KYCs) and the practical difficulties being faced by its customers due to the aforementioned reasons.

SOLUTIONS: Going forward, please ensure that in your personal lives and in case of people whom you can advise, NAMES MUST BE WRITTEN IN FULL EVERYWHERE; from school leaving certificate (when my son's school started using initials in his name in report cards, etc., I fought with my son's school management to ensure that my son's full name is mentioned in every school record), to AADHAAR, to PAN, PASSPORT, VOTER ID, RATION CARD, DRIVING LICENSE, etc. This is your right, not some favor being done by government departments / private organizations.

MY OPINION / SOLUTIONS ON THE UAN_AADHAAR_PAN KYC:
a) Changing PAN to match AADHAAR. This is not going to happen if the AADHAAR database has initials because PAN does not accept initials.
b) Changing AADHAAR to match the school leaving certificate. This can be done, but unlikely to help in UAN_AADHAAR_PAN Linking because, more often than not, school leaving certificates always have INITIALs. So, even if you correct your name in AADHAAR as per the School Leaving Certificate, the problem of PAN name mismatch still persists (remember no initials in PAN database).
c) Changing NAME in AADHAAR / PAN has other collateral implications. Just imagine how many RE-KYCs you will have to do... AADHAAR_PAN, BANK_AADHAAR_PAN, INSURANCE_AADHAAR, Investments_AADHAAR_PAN, name correction in PASSPORT, etc., etc. So, in my PERSONAL CONSIDERED OPINION, EPFO insisting on exact name matching in UAN (which was generated based on AADHAAR) with PAN (not going to match in millions of cases) is just not correct.

WAY AHEAD I feel, EPFO should do a "workaround" (just like IT Dept did in the case of AADHAAR_PAN Linking). It could be one or any of the following:-

a) FIRST & FOREMOST, STOP outright rejecting the PAN KYC based on name mismatch.
b) INITIATE alternative verification if there is a NAME MISMATCH:-
(i) OTP-based validation on the AADHAAR (or UAN) linked mobile.
(ii) In most cases, people have successfully linked AADHAAR_PAN. EPFO has access to both. EPFO can accept the PAN KYC based on verification of AADHAAR_PAN linking status.
(iii) Give the employer the feature to approve or reject the PAN KYC even if there is a name mismatch in UAN_PAN. Once the employer approves it, then EPFO can also approve it to complete the KYC requirements (just like the "BASIC DATA Correction" is being implemented now).

I have put forward these ideas to EPFO on their email id: employerfeedback@epfindia.gov.in. The problem is known to EPFO (I guess), and as well-meaning employers, we must give viable solutions to EPFO so that they can implement one of the suggestions (possibly already under consideration) to overcome the UAN_AADHAAR_PAN KYC issues.

Thanks and regards,
Arun

Dear Arun,

Thank you for your valuable input on the subject. This will help many to understand the gravity of the issue as well as possible expected solutions in the near future.

Best Regards,

S K Bandyopadhyay (West Bengal) USD HR Solutions +919831081531 skb@usdhrs.in

Hello Everyone,

My name currently in Aadhar and in PAN card is Nitin Kumar Pandey. Earlier, it was Nitin Dinanath Pandey on both Aadhar and in PAN, and the same was on the UAN account where KYC was completed. Subsequently, I updated my name on the Aadhar card and PAN card to Nitin Kumar Pandey to match my name on my Passport, Birth certificate, and 10th Marksheet.

Now, if I want to change my name in UAN, the KYC process has already been completed, and it is not allowing me to make any changes. I would appreciate any suggestions on what should be done in this case.