UIDAI to mandate registration, offline QR verification -No more Aadhaar photocopies
Hotels and event organisers will soon be barred from storing Aadhaar photocopies as UIDAI readies mandatory registration and offline QR-based verification.
UIDAI clears registration mandate and offline QR-based verification to curb paper Aadhaar copies, with a new app slated to align authentication with India’s data protection law.
A new rule to stop hotels, event organisers and similar entities from taking and storing physical photocopies of Aadhaar cards will be notified soon, a senior government official told PTI. The move aims to curb paper-based Aadhaar verification that violates the existing Aadhaar Act.
The Unique Identification Authority of India has approved a framework that will require all entities seeking offline Aadhaar verification to register formally and shift to QR code and app-based authentication, UIDAI CEO Bhuvnesh Kumar
What changes for hotels, events and other verifiers
Under the new rule, entities such as hotels, event organisers and similar establishments must register with UIDAI to access a secure application programming interface (API) that enables Aadhaar verification without collecting physical copies.
“The objective is to discourage paper-based Aadhaar verification. The Authority has already approved the rule and will notify it shortly.
Cause → effect: physical photocopies create privacy risk → UIDAI mandates registration and digital-only verification → paper Aadhaar copies get phased out.
UIDAI is beta-testing a new app that will allow app-to-app verification without requiring a live connection to the central Aadhaar database for every transaction.
The app will enable verification at places such as airports, retail outlets selling age-restricted products, and event venues. It will also allow users to update address proof and add family members who do not own a mobile phone.
The new system is also designed to bypass disruptions caused by intermediate server outages that currently connect service providers to the central Aadhaar repository. Offline verification through QR and app-based tools will ensure continuity even during technical disruptions.
UIDAI said the new verification process will enhance privacy by removing the need for paper storage and reducing the risk of Aadhaar misuse through leakages.
The app is expected to align Aadhaar authentication with the upcoming full implementation of the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, which is slated to become fully operational in about 18 months.
News Edit KV Raman