Personal details on an Indian resume: what to leave out, and why
Many resume formats used in India, including the older "biodata" style, carry a block of personal details: date of birth, father's name, marital status, religion, nationality, a full address, sometimes height, weight or a photograph. Most of these tell an employer nothing about whether you can do the job, and a resume travels much further than most people expect.
CV Tayyar's default is simple. Include what helps someone contact you and judge your work. Leave the rest for the formal application form, if it asks.
Limits: This page is general information about resume practice, not legal advice. For a particular application, follow the recruitment notice or the employer’s instructions. For a legal question, consult a lawyer.
A resume travels further than you think
Once you send a resume, you cannot call it back. It may be uploaded to job portals, stored in an employer's system, forwarded to hiring managers and placement agencies, or passed around in messaging groups. Every personal detail on it goes everywhere the file goes.
Identity numbers are the clearest case. The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) asks residents not to share their Aadhaar openly in the public domain, to take the same care when sharing it with a trusted entity as they would with a bank account number or passport, and notes that a Virtual ID can be used for authentication in place of the Aadhaar number. Source: UIDAI circular, 21 September 2022, checked 26 October 2026. A resume is not the place for it.
Detail by detail
| Detail | Our suggestion | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Name, phone, email | Include | The reader needs to contact you. |
| City and state | Include | Shows where you are based, and whether you would relocate, without exposing your home. |
| Full postal address | Leave out | Nobody needs it to shortlist you. |
| Date of birth or age | Leave out unless asked | It is not evidence of ability. If a post has an age limit, the application form will ask. |
| Gender, marital status | Leave out | Neither tells the reader whether you can do the job. |
| Religion, caste | Leave out | Not relevant to the work. If you apply under a reserved category, follow the recruitment notice for any certificate it asks for. |
| Father's, mother's or spouse's name | Leave out | A biodata convention that says nothing about your work. |
| Photograph | Leave out unless asked | It uses space and shows nothing about your skills. One career service's tracking-system tips also say not to include a photo. If an advert asks for one, use the size it specifies. |
| Height, weight, blood group | Leave out unless asked | Only relevant when a job states a physical standard, and then the form asks. |
| Aadhaar, PAN, passport or licence numbers | Never | If an employer needs to verify your identity, it will ask for documents at a later stage. See UIDAI's advice above. |
| Bank account details | Never | Not needed until you join and are added to payroll. |
| Languages | Include | A real job skill. Use the Languages section. |
| Hobbies and interests | Optional | Include one only if it shows something useful, such as a long-running commitment. |
| Declaration ("I hereby declare...") | Optional | Add it when an employer or form asks for one. Without that, a resume is complete without it. |
The photo point comes from US guidance. Source: Robert Morris University Career Center, checked 26 October 2026. Practice differs between employers and countries, so if an advert asks for something specific, follow the advert.
What the law says, in brief
Article 16(2) of the Constitution says no citizen shall, on grounds only of religion, race, caste, sex, descent, place of birth or residence, be ineligible for, or discriminated against in respect of, any employment or office under the State. Source: Constitution of India, Article 16, checked 26 October 2026.
For employers generally, the Press Information Bureau's summary of the new labour codes says that under the Code on Wages, 2019, employers shall not discriminate on the ground of gender in recruitment, wages or conditions of employment for the same work or work of a similar nature. Source: Press Information Bureau, 27 November 2025, checked 26 October 2026.
These rules govern how employers may treat applicants. Leaving the details off your resume is simply a way of keeping the first read about your qualifications.
When to give a detail anyway
Some recruitment processes do need personal information: a notice may set an age limit, offer reserved posts or state a physical standard, and a job abroad may ask about your work authorisation. When a recruitment notice or application form asks for a detail, give it there, exactly as asked and no more.
It helps to keep a private document with the details forms usually ask for, so you can fill them in quickly without putting them on every copy of your resume.
Health, disability and career breaks
Whether to mention a disability or a health condition is your decision. If you need an adjustment for an interview or a test, you can ask the recruiter for it directly. A career break needs only a short, honest line; see the experienced resume guide.
How CV Tayyar helps
The builder has no fields for date of birth, photo, religion or identity numbers. If you type such details anywhere, for example in an Additional section, the checks beside the preview point them out, including numbers that look like an Aadhaar number or a PAN. Nothing you type is sent anywhere: see our privacy page.
Related guides
Sources
- Usage of Aadhaar: Dos and Don’ts (circular dated 21 September 2022). Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI). Checked 26 October 2026.
- Constitution of India, Article 16 (equality of opportunity in public employment), text as published by Indian Kanoon. Constitution of India (Indian Kanoon text). Checked 26 October 2026.
- New Labour Codes Empower Women with Greater Safety, Equality, and Workplace Flexibility (27 November 2025). Press Information Bureau, Government of India. Checked 26 October 2026.
- Applicant Tracking Systems: Quick Tips. Robert Morris University Career Center. Checked 26 October 2026.
Reviewed 26 October 2026. Suggestions on this page are our own; facts are cited above.