Aadhaar 2.0 Workshop | 25 Nov 2021

Why in News

Recently, the Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology (Meity) inaugurated a 3-day workshop titled ‘Aadhaar 2.0- Ushering the Next Era of Digital Identity and Smart Governance’.

• The Workshop aims to analyze the reach of Digital Identity in major reforms and schemes launched by the Government.
• It also aims to look into various futuristic aspects of Digital Identity to achieve universal inclusion, both social as well as financial.

Key Points

• About:
  
  • It will provide a platform to share and exchange ideas with Government and Industry leaders, Eminent Academicians and Scientists, Innovators and Practitioners working on Digital Identity in India and abroad.
  • The workshop will provide an opportunity to feed into the regional and global debates, while reflecting on India-specific challenges and opportunities to share best practices in terms of people, processes, technology, research, regulatory framework, legal policy and governance.
• Major Discussions:
  
  • Expanding Use of Aadhar: Aadhaar can continue itself as one of the main enablers of identity verification in both on-line as well as offline mode in light of the SWIK rules (Social welfare, Innovation and Knowledge).
    
    • For example, Aadhaar can deliver on e-gov; e-commerce and e-banking and finance in particular.
  • Aadhaar as an International Digital Identity Standard: Aadhaar to be developed as a framework for creating International standards for digital identity, a roadmap for International digital identity standards and across borders interoperability.
  • Strengthening Privacy Framework: Aadhar's legal framework is settled with the Aadhaar Act, Supreme Court judgement, but for addressing privacy aspects Data Privacy Law needs to be enacted.
  • Use of Critical Technologies: Biometrics in Aadhar, can be improved using Artificial Intelligence and deep learning techniques.
    
    • Blockchain-based technologies and applications as well as the impact of Aadhaar and these new technologies in the Banking sector should be explored.

Aadhar

• About
  
  • Aadhaar number is a 12-digit random number issued by the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) to the residents of India after satisfying the verification process laid down by the Authority.
  • Any individual, irrespective of age and gender, who is a resident of India, may voluntarily enrol to obtain an Aadhaar number.
  • Person willing to enrol has to provide minimal demographic and biometric information during the enrolment process which is totally free of cost.
  • An individual needs to enrol for Aadhaar only once and after de-duplication only one Aadhaar shall be generated, as the uniqueness is achieved through the process of demographic and biometric de-duplication.
• Legal Framework: The Parliament has passed the Aadhaar and Other Laws (Amendment) Act, 2019 which allows voluntary use of Aadhaar as proof of identity.
• Benefits of Aadhar:
  
  • Promoting Transparency and Good Governance: Aadhaar number is verifiable in an online, cost-effective way.
    
    • It is unique and robust enough to eliminate duplicates and fake identities and thus used as a basis/primary identifier to roll out several Government welfare schemes thereby promoting transparency and good governance.
  • Helping Bottom of the Pyramid: Aadhaar has given identity to a large number of people who did not have any identity earlier.
    
    • It has been used in a range of services and has helped in bringing financial inclusion, broadband and telecom services, direct benefit transfers to the bank account of citizens in a transparent manner.
  • Neutral: Aadhaar number is devoid of any intelligence and does not profile people based on caste, religion, income, health and geography.
    
    • The Aadhaar number is a proof of identity, however, it does not confer any right of citizenship or domicile in respect of an Aadhaar number holder.
  • People-Centric Governance: Aadhaar is a strategic policy tool for social and financial inclusion, public sector delivery reforms, managing fiscal budgets, increasing convenience and promoting hassle-free people-centric governance.
  • Permanent Financial Address: Aadhaar can be used as a permanent Financial Address and facilitates financial inclusion of the underprivileged and weaker sections of the society and is therefore a tool of distributive justice and equality.
    
    • Thus, the Aadhaar identity platform is one of the key pillars of ‘Digital India’.

Source: IE