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Aadhaar Authentication
Aadhaar authentication transactions increased by 10 per cent year-on-year to 221 crore in August 2025, Unique Identification Authority of India said on Thursday. Aadhaar custodian Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) said the Aadhaar Face Authentication solutions are also witnessing consistent growth, with at least 18.6 crore transactions recorded in August 2025 compared to 6.04 crore a year ago. "Aadhaar number holders executed over 221 crore authentication transactions in August 2025, more than the previous month this year, as well as the corresponding month in the previous fiscal. The August 2025 authentication transactions are over 10.3 per cent more than such transactions recorded in August 2024," UIDAI said in a statement. UIDAI said the growth in usage and utility of Aadhaar reflects the growth of the digital economy in the country as well. On September 1, UIDAI observed the highest-ever face authentication transactions in a single day at over 1.5 crore. The ..
Himachal Pradesh became the first state in the country to introduce Aadhaar-based face authentication (FaceAuth) for the distribution of ration to eligible beneficiaries under the Public Distribution System (PDS), officials said on Saturday. Until now, authentication was carried out using either OTP-based or biometric methods. However, frequent challenges such as SMS delivery failures and biometric mismatches at the UIDAI end were causing inconvenience to the beneficiaries, Gokul Butail, Principal Advisor to the Chief Minister, said in a statement. With the launch of the FaceAuth mechanism, the process has now been streamlined and made more accessible, Butail noted, adding that, unlike traditional methods, this new facility uses a mobile camera via an app installed on the fair price shop (FPS) owner's smartphone, enabling direct facial authentication of beneficiaries. "In a significant technological advancement, the department of Digital Technologies and Governance (DDTG), Himachal
The Staff Selection Commission (SSC) has decided to implement Aadhaar-based biometric authentication in its all forthcoming examinations in order to verify candidates' identity on a voluntary basis, officials said on Sunday. They said the new measure will come into force for recruitment tests conducted from next month onwards. The SSC is one of the largest recruitment agencies of the central government with its main mandate to conduct selections for non-gazetted posts in various central ministries and departments, among others. "The Commission has decided to implement Aadhar Based Biometric Authentication in its forthcoming examinations. "Accordingly, candidates will be able to authenticate themselves using Aadhaar at the time of online registration, while filling up online application form for the examinations and while appearing at the test centre to take examinations conducted by the Commission from May 2025 onwards," a recent public notice issued by the recruitment body said.
The government has amended the Aadhaar Act to allow private entities to use Aadhaar authentication for delivering their services, according to a notification issued on Friday. The Supreme Court had in September 2018 termed Section 57 of the Aadhaar Act "susceptible to misuse". The Section 57 empowered private entities to seek and use Aadhaar authentication for business purposes. Now, the government has notified Aadhaar Authentication for Good Governance (Social Welfare, Innovation, Knowledge) Amendment Rules, 2025 with provision to provide Aadhaar Authentication to private entities based on the approval of their proposal for the facility. "Any entity other than the Ministry or Department... which is desirous of utilising Aadhaar authentication, shall prepare a proposal with justification in regard to the authentication sought being for a purpose specified in rule 3 and in the interest of state, and submit the same to the Ministry or Department concerned," the notification said. Rul
Five states, including Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Telangana, have shown interest in rolling out Aadhaar-based authentication for GST registration, an official said on Monday. The biometric-based authentication was discussed at the third National Co-ordination Meeting of senior Central and State GST officers earlier this month. Currently, two states, Gujarat and Andhra Pradesh, and the Union Territory of Puducherry have launched the Aadhaar authentication of taxpayers on a pilot basis. "Around five states, including Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Telangana, have shown interest in implementing Aadhaar-based authentication for GST registration," an official told PTI. The official further said that these states wanted to assess the cost involved, the infrastructure and manpower requirement for implementing the requirement of biometric authentication for registration. The data has been provided to them and based on the assessment, these states will have to put the proposal up before the stat
The government on Saturday said a person who is eligible for Aadhaar can enrol using Iris scan in case fingerprints are unavailable. The statement comes after Minister of State for Electronics and IT Rajeev Chandrasekhar intervened to ensure the enrolment of a woman, Josymol P Jose, in Kerala who could not get enrolled for Aadhaar as she did not have fingers. A team from the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) visited Jose at her home in Kumarakam, Kottayam district, in Kerala, the same day and got her Aadhaar number generated, the statement said. Chandrasekhar said an advisory has been sent to all Aadhaar Service Kendras giving instructions that Aadhaar should be issued to people like Jose or to others having blurred finger prints or similar disability, by taking alternate biometrics. "A person who is eligible for Aadhaar but unable to provide fingerprints may enrol using only iris scan. Similarly, an eligible person whose irises cannot be captured due to any reason m
The linking of Aadhaar details with voter identity cards has not yet begun, Lok Sabha was informed on Friday. In a written reply, Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal said linking of Aadhaar is process-driven. He also said no targets have been given for linking Aadhaar details with the electoral photo identity card. "... The Election Commission has informed that linking of Aadhar with EPIC has not yet started," he said. He also noted that the time period to submit Form 6B (to link Aadhaar card) has been extended for a period of one year -- March 31, 2024. The Election Laws (Amendment) Act, 2021 allows electoral registration officers to require the existing or prospective elector to provide the Aadhaar number for the purpose of establishing identity on a "voluntary basis", he said.