A new challenge was launched this week by the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) and IIIT-Hyderabad bringing global researchers and developers working in the field of biometrics together.
Hyderabad:A new challenge was launched this week by the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) and IIIT-Hyderabad bringing global researchers and developers working in the field of biometrics together.
The focus is on fingerprint authentication in children, a highly difficult problem due to the biological changes that occur with age. This competition will test whether current algorithms can handle matching fingerprint data collected from children aged 5 to 10, compared to updated prints five to ten years later.
Rather than theoretical datasets or lab simulations, the challenge uses anonymised, real-world data collected in the field. Participants won’t have access to the raw data, and all submissions will be evaluated securely to protect privacy. The objective is to see which biometric software development kits (SDKs) can perform reliably over time, which is a crucial issue as India expands its digital infrastructure through Aadhaar.
The competition, open until May 25, 2025, offers `7.7 lakh in prize money and the chance to collaborate directly with UIDAI. Registration is open on the UIDAI website. The organisers are encouraging international entries, especially from teams capable of improving authentication accuracy under non-ideal conditions.
Though this is the first in a series, UIDAI has said that upcoming phases will also benchmark algorithms for iris and facial recognition. These efforts aim to strengthen Aadhaar’s ability to verify identities seamlessly, even as users grow and change. Currently, Aadhaar supports around 90 million authentication transactions daily across India.
