Private firms may be allowed to authenticate Aadhaar: Here's how
The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has proposed amending the current regulations to permit Aadhaar authentication by entities other than government departments. This should promote convenience for residents and help them avail government schemes with no hassle. The ministry has posted the proposed amendment on its official website and is seeking comments from stakeholders and the general public.
Why does this story matter?
On Thursday, MeitY put forth rules that would permit non-governmental entities to authenticate Aadhaar. The new proposal is part of the government's plan to improve the accessibility of the Aadhaar authentication service and make it more citizen-centric. The ministry is also allowing interested parties to comment on the latest move. Individuals can give their opinion via the MyGov platform.
What is the current scenario?
Under the Aadhaar Authentication for Good Governance Rules, 2020, only government ministries and departments are permitted to carry out Aadhaar authentication. The rule is issued in the interest of good governance in order to prevent the theft of public funds, enable innovation, and disseminate knowledge.
How can a private entity involve itself?
According to MeitY's new proposal, a non-government entity can use Aadhaar authentication for promoting convenience and accessibility to residents, ensure the disbursal of benefits under social welfare schemes and more. However, it must prepare a proposal outlining how it will carry out authentication for the aforementioned purposes. Further, the proposal must be submitted to the concerned ministry/department of the central/state government.
What happens next?
Once the proposal is submitted by the private entity, it reaches the concerned ministry/department, which then determines whether the submitted proposal serves a legitimate purpose and is in the state's interest. When flagged green, the proposal along with its recommendation is forwarded to MeitY.
Over 91.5 billion Aadhaar authentications have been achieved
The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) notes that around 91.5 billion Aadhaar authentications have been carried out to date by over 250 government departments. Additionally, the daily authentication limit has reached 70-80 million over the past few days. Simply put, the government's new proposal aims to offer better convenience to the residents by expanding the authentication procedure for Aadhaar via private entities.
