PIB: Aadhaar developments

• The World’s largest and unique biometrics based identification programme with a real time online authentication infrastructure – the Aadhaar has been recognized in the recent UN Report on World Social Situation, 2016.
• It was recognised as a developmental tool with “tremendous potential to foster inclusion by giving all people, including the poorest and most marginalized, an official identity”
• Also it was considered as a wonderful “critical step in enabling fairer access of the people to government benefits and services”, thereby enhancing social and economic distributive justice leaving no one behind.
• Aadhaar enrolment ecosystem with 135 registrars and 612 enrolment agencies working at 47,192 enrolment stations has been enrolling and updating7-8 lakhs requests per day.
• Aadhaar generation as on 31^stMay 2014 was 63.22 crore with a per day enrolment/update trend of about 3-4 lakh which remained around 5-6 lakh per day till October 2016.
• However, since demonetization the Aadhaar enrolment and update requests are in the range of 7-8 lakhs per day.

4 Phases of Aadhaar

• Aadhaar which began in its first phase as a unique identification programme with an authentication infrastructure grew into its second phase as the tool of public sector delivery reforms by becoming the permanent financial address of the Aadhaar holder.
• And as a tool for de-duplication, e-KYC anddirect benefit transfer in its third phase, it started contributing to the management of the fiscal budget by generating saving to the Government exchequer to the tune of 36,144 crore in a few welfare schemes only in just two years.
• Now in its fourth phase, with demonetisation and Digital India drive towards less-cash economy, Aadhaar is all set to be the game changer with Aadhaar Pay – a non-traditional digital payment system without a need of card, pin, password or mobile with the consumer.

Benefits of Aadhaar

• Aadhaar has empowered people by increasing convenience and making their life hassle-free towards a presenceless, paperless and cashless environment.
• We have Aadhaar Act 2016 which has strict provisions for protection of data and privacy.
• As on date, Aadhaar’s total saturation percentage is 91.7% (as per Census 2011) while over 99% adult population above the age of 18 have been assigned Aadhaar numbers.
• Aadhaar has become an extraordinary institution to connect the ordinary people of India into the banking system in a flawless manner.
• Firstly, Aadhaar Enabled Payment System ( AEPS ) on which 119 banks are live.
• This helps the Banking Correspondents to go to the doorsteps in rural villages, facilitating banking transactions, with the help of Micro-ATMs, linked with Aadhaar. More than 33.87 crore transactions have taken place through AEPS, which was only 46 lakhs in May 2014.
• Secondly, the opening of bank accounts with Aadhaar eKYC, in which 97 banks are live and 4.47 crore bank accounts have been opened till now, which was only 1 lakh in May 2014.
• Thirdly, Aadhaar Payment Bridge (APB), popularly known as Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT),  has shown considerable growth in the past two years.
• Fourthly, with the Aadhaar Pay, soon to be launched, any person with his Aadhaar number linked to Bank account, can make and / or receive payment, with his thumb impression alone.
• There is absolutely no need for him to have any phone, debit card etc.