Developing on its vision of
“Empowering residents of India with a unique identity and a digital
platform to authenticate anytime, anywhere”, the Unique Identification
Authority of India (UIDAI) today unveiled three new Aadhaar-Enabled
Services and announced the establishment of first set of permanent
enrolment centres (Aadhaar Kendras). The services that were launched
today are Authentication services using Iris, Authentication service
using One Time Pin and eKYC (Electronic- Know Your Customer) service.
Launching the services,
Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission, Shri Montek Singh Ahluwalia
said, “The Aadhaar authentication and eKYC services launched today will
give a boost to the use of the Aadhaar identity platform for
authenticating the identity of people. This is a transformational
initiative, and I am sure the Aam Aadmi will start reaping the benefits
of the Aadhaar project in the near future.”
Authentication and eKYC
services of UIDAI will help residents avail benefits of Aadhaar-linked
services and give public/private entities an economical, secure and
flexible mode of verifying user identity.
Underlining the key role
these services will play in the future, Shri Nandan Nilekani, Chairman
UIDAI said, “This is a major step in the direction of enabling Aadhaar
holders to avail various services by using the Aadhaar identity
platform. It also makes sense for various user agencies (public or
private) as they can identify a beneficiary/customer using a fast,
secure, economical and paperless format.”
a. Authentication service using Iris: Residents
will be able to authenticate identity for availing Aadhaar-enabled
services by providing a combination of Aadhaar number + Iris image
b. Authentication service using One Time Pin (OTP): Residents
will be able to authenticate identity for availing Aadhaar-enabled
services by providing a combination of Aadhaar number + One Time Pin,
received on their registered mobile number
c. eKYC service: Electronic
verification of resident’s identity & address at his request and/or
with his consent. Paperless, secure and economical.
d. Aadhaar Kendra (Permanent Enrolment Centre): Permanent
enrolment Centres will facilitate enrolment of residents left out
during the camps organized by the Registrars in the past. The centres
will also serve as Update Centres - both for biometric and demographic
update.
Aadhaar Iris Authentication: is
a process wherein Aadhaar number, along with the resident’s Iris Image
is submitted to UIDAI’s Central Identities Data Repository (CIDR) for
verification; the CIDR verifies whether the Iris data submitted matches
the Iris data available in CIDR, which had been collected during
enrolment, andresponds with a “yes/no” reply.
Iris-based
authentication of residents is a state-of-the-art authentication
service which enables an Aadhaar holder to identify himself/herself
using the Iris image. The service can be availed of by all those who
have an Aadhaar number including the old, blind and those who may have
undergone cataract surgery. India is the first country in the world to
offer a public Iris Authentication platform and enablement of Iris
Authentication for about 350 million residents, who currently hold
Aadhaar numbers. This is indeed a ground-breaking technology and service
development. UIDAI has conducted proof of concept (PoC) exercises
involving Iris technology and concluded that more than 99% of residents
could be reliably authenticated.
Aadhaar One Time Pin (OTP) Authentication: The
OTP service enables Aadhaar based authentication of all residents who
registered a mobile telephone at the time of enrolment or subsequent
updation. With Aadhaar OTP, residents will be able to authenticate
themselves using their mobile telephone anytime, anywhere on a self
service mode without having to use biometric authentication device,
which requires assisted service.
OTP authentication is a two-step process involving the mobile of a resident. In
the first step a request for OTP, against an Aadhaar, is sent to
UIDAI’s Central Identities Data Repository (CIDR). In response, CIDR
sends a newly generated random OTP on the resident’s mobile/email. In
the second step Aadhaar number, along with OTP is submitted to CIDR for
verification; the CIDR verifies whether the OTP data submitted matches
the generated OTP data available in CIDR andresponds with a “yes/no” reply.
User
agencies that take advantage of Aadhaar authentication can use OTP to
provide a single factor authentication, or in combination with
biometrics to achieve a two factor authentication. This would offer
higher flexibility to Authentication User Agencies in terms of deploying
appropriate modality based on factors like demographics, service
delivery platform and/or domain security requirements.
eKYC: The
eKYC service offered by UIDAI will enable individuals to authorise
service providers to receive electronic copy of their proof of identity
and address. This is a first of its kind service, on any public
platform. The service makes KYC instantaneous, totally secure and
paperless while enhancing privacy of data. It brings business efficiency
and opens doors to innovative service provision in a manner never
experienced before on a comparable scale.
eKYC
service can be deployed by different agencies to verify a resident’s
identity and address. Only DEMOGRAPHIC information (Name, Address, Date
of Birth, Gender, Photograph & Mobile Number) that is collected
during Aadhaar enrolment will be shared, at the request of, and/or with
the consent of the Aadhaar number holder.
Permanent Enrolment Centre: Aadhaar
Kendras or Permanent enrolment Centres will facilitate the enrolment of
residents left out during the camps organized by the Registrars in the
past. They would also serve as Update Centres – for resident who wish to
update biometric or demographic data.
Aadhaar
Kendras will be located in the Common Services Centres, government
buildings in block/mandal/tehsil/municipal ward office or in the
official premises of the Registrar or such premises as may be expressly
approved by the Registrars. Residents can also seek information about
their Aadhaar generation status or get e-Aadhaar printed at these
centres.
Registrars
may choose to charge a convenience fee not exceeding Rs.10 for printing
e-Aadhaar letter and Rs.15 for update requests. Aadhaar Enabled Service
Delivery is currently or will soon be linked to various government
schemes such as MNREGA wage payments, PDS distribution, payment of
social security benefits such as old-age payments, distribution of LPG
subsidy etc. Currently over 400 million residents have enrolled for an
Aadhaar number, while about 350 million Aadhaar numbers have been
issued.
Source : PIB
