Aadhaar Card to Get New Design With Only Photo and QR Code Soon

According to a top official on November 18, the Unique Identification Authority of India is considering producing an Aadhaar card that includes the holder's photo and a QR code in order to deter offline verification methods that violate the current law and stop the misuse of people's data.

UIDAI CEO Bhuvnesh Kumar stated during an open online conference on a new Aadhaar app that the authority is thinking of enacting a new rule in December to improve the age verification process using Aadhaar while protecting people's privacy and discouraging offline verification by organisations like hotels and event planners. According to Kumar, there is a reasoning behind the inclusion of any information on the card. Just a picture and a QR code should be included. "People will continue to accept what is printed if we continue to print. Individuals who are skilled at abusing will continue to do so," he continued.

Why UIDAI Taken This Step?

In order to provide them with an update on the new app that is being developed and is anticipated to be released shortly, the UIDAI convened a joint meeting with a number of stakeholders, including banks, hotels, fintech companies, etc. In accordance with the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, the new app is anticipated to improve the Aadhaar authentication service, which will be fully functional in 18 months.

Users will be able to add other family members who do not own a mobile phone to the same app and update their proof of address documentation. According to a UIDAI official, the new app's facial authentication capability will also allow family members who hold Aadhaar to update their mobile numbers. According to Kumar, the new software will take the place of the mAadhaar app and make it easier for the different organisations that need to authenticate a person for different reasons.

New App to Follow the Footprints of DigiYatra App

The new app will function similarly to how the DigiYatra app verifies Aadhaar. According to Kumar, entities can provide UIDAI with comments on new Aadhaar authentication service use cases, and the authentication service can produce a variety of use cases.

According to various UIDAI officials, the new app will assist with identity verification in a number of situations, such as event and movie theatre admission, purchasing certain items that require an 18-year-old as a minimum age, student verification, hotel check-in, residential society entry, etc. Details about updating offline verification seeking entities' (OVSE) systems have been made public online by the official authority. According to him, OVSE may verify Aadhaar number holders online as evidence of their physical presence using the new system.