What’s the news: Entities should verify Aadhaar be it in physical or electronic form before accepting it as proof of identity, the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) said in a press release on November 24, 2022. As per the government department, any Aadhaar can be verified using the QR code available on all forms of Aadhaar (Aadhaar letter, e-Aadhaar, Aadhaar PVC card, and m-Aadhaar) and the mAadhaar App, or Aadhaar QR code Scanner. “The QR code scanner is freely available for both Android and iOS based mobile phones, as well as [W]indow[s]-based applications,” said UIDAI. It urged state governments to give necessary direction so that whenever Aadhaar is submitted as a proof of identity, entities authenticate or verify the resident’s document. Similarly, it also issued circulars to entities, authorized to do authentication/verification, and specified the protocol to be followed. Why it matters: Aadhaar was supposed to serve as a unique ID for Indian citizens before it was diluted to its current version of a document that helps in availing government subsidies. Previously, the UIDAI also said that it will not vouch for Aadhaar’s demographic data accuracy. In such a case, it is not surprising that UIDAI is asking governments to verify people’s Aadhaar. However, a bigger question that pops up is: if Aadhaar is in fact not a unique then what is the rationale of the government in trying to link it with Voter-ID and other important documents? Considering, the government is also pushing for Baal Aadhaar, it is…
