India, June 13 -- The Assam Cabinet has decided to stop the issuance of Aadhaar cards to individuals above the age of 18 in a bid to prevent illegal immigrants from obtaining the identity document. Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma announced the decision after a Cabinet meeting in Guwahati on Saturday.

Sarma said Aadhaar enrolment in Assam has largely reached saturation levels, with some districts reporting enrolment figures exceeding 100 per cent. The government now intends to closely scrutinise new applications to identify and prevent illegal immigrants, particularly from Bangladesh, from securing Aadhaar cards.

Under the new system, individuals above 18 years seeking Aadhaar enrolment in exceptional cases will require approval from ...