Aadhaar To Usher In Era Of Biometric ID

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Sidhartha & Surojit Gupta TNN

New Delhi: Submitting photocopies of identity and address proof for opening a bank account, buying insurance or getting a mobile connection could soon be a thing of the past. Instead, it would all be there at your fingertips.
The Unique Identification Authority of India is ready with an electronic know-your-customer authentication (eKYC) service, which will pave the way to provide identity and address proof by just providing your fingerprints for biometric identification.
Officials said the facility of a onetouch eKYC could start as early as next month after government and other agencies, such as the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), notify the new norms that explicitly provide for Aadhaar as avalid identity proof.
So, when a bank asks for your ID proof to open an account, all you will have to do is tap on a device that reads fingerprints and the information will be transmitted electronically in an encrypted form. The front desk will receive a message saying the information was received and was matched with data available, an official said. GOING DIGITAL
HOW IT WILL WORK
Swipe your finger on an Aadhaar device at bank or phone company outlet
Your details stored in your Aadhaar number will be matched at the back-end
NEXT STEPS
Aadhaar devices also likely to be used for providing identity proof for passports
In future, mobile cameras may be used to match your iris, instead of fingerprint HOW TO GET AN AADHAAR CARD
To get a fresh card, go to Aadhaar website (uidai.gov.in) and locate a UID centre close to you. Or, call 1800-180-1947
Once the formalities are completed, you can download your card from the UID authority's E-Aadhaar facility
Soon there will be updation centres — at post offices and banks — where you can update details Aadhaar as valid ID for passport?
Under the Aadhaar authentication process, the 12-digit number, along with other attributes, including biometrics, is available with the Central Identities Data Repository. Once the information is sought by scanning the fingerprints, the platform will send a ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ message to the vendor which could be a bank or a telecom firm.
Officials said the finance ministry has been critical of RBI creating ambiguity over the use of Aadhaar as valid ID proof for financial transactions. Now, the regulator will issue a comprehensive circular detailing the new norms.
Similarly, an official in the UID authority said the Cabinet secretariat has asked government agencies, including the MEA, to accept Aadhaar for various
activities, including for issue of passports. While eKYC will start with the use of fingerprints, future plans would enable mobile phone cameras to scan the iris and use the data for verifying the information available on the platform.