Government hits online key to check fake Aadhaar cards

Hyderabad: The government has initiated online authentication of Aadhaar cards to check fake cards and UID numbers. Government departments submit Aadhaar details provided by applicants to the Central Identities Data Repository (CIDR) of the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) for online authentication. 

Earlier, the departments used to accept paper copies of the Aadhaar to link with various schemes and services. There was no provision to check whether the details in the photocopy were correct or not. This led to complaints and instances of duplication, fake Aadhaar cards and UID numbers, prompting the government to go for an online authentication.

Institutions in the private sector, especially mobile phone service providers, banks and insurance firms are opting for Aadhaar-based authentication of applicants.

UIDAI deputy director general M.V.S. Rami Reddy said, “We want all agencies not to rely on paper-based Aadhaar but authenticate data with the CIDR. There may be chances of creating fake Aadhaar cards or UID numbers but no manipulation is possible in the new system.” He said the Aadhaar Act mandated authentication of Aadhaar data using biometrics or the one-time passwords (OTP). 

“Under the Act, the regulations say that Aadhaar has to be used through authentication. There will be no scope for submitting fake Aadhaar cards or giving the Aadhaar card of someone else and linking it with the PAN card or bank account or other purposes.”  In the government sector, Aadhaar authentication is largely utilised by civil supplies, agriculture, education, police, panchayat raj departments besides welfare departments for the backward classes, scheduled castes, scheduled tribes and minorities. The government is spending over Rs 40,000 crore on these sections in the form of subsidies.

Using online authentication, the government has eliminated a large number of bogus beneficiaries of ration rice, fee reimbursement scheme and scholarships for students.