The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) recently organised an online seminar on ‘Offline Verification using the Aadhaar App’. Interestingly this seminar has been conducted after the recent launch of the Aadhaar app. Overall the seminar was attended by 250 entities and individuals belonging to different sectors and industries. During the seminar the UIDAI gave a detailed overview of the advantages the newly launched app compared to the offline verification process.
The seminar saw the opening address from Bhuvnesh Kumar, CEO, UIDAI. During his address Mr. Bhuvesh highlighted the objective of the seminar which was ”to promote offline verification and building a strong ecosystem for offline verification by spreading awareness about the features, benefits and potential of offline Aadhaar verification through the Aadhaar app. He also emphasised that offline verification would offer both users and entities a secure, convenient and privacy-protecting method for identity verification and discourage sharing and reliance on physical/ photocopy of Aadhaar which otherwise is a possible reason for potential fraudulent practices.
Purpose and Scope of Verification Process
This was followed by a detailed presentation by Vivek Chandra Verma, DDG, UIDAI, explaining the purpose, scope, and practical usage of offline verification. The session also covered in detail the technical framework, integration pathways, and future-ready nature of the verification process.
Use cases of Offline Verification and Advantages
UIDAI officials touched upon several aspects of offline verification and its potential use cases including hotel check-ins, residential society entry, event access etc. Officials explained the various modes of offline verification including the QR based verification.
Participants of the online seminar were also given a detailed overview of the advantages offered by offline verification like option to verify and share complete or selective Aadhaar information and ability to confirm proof of presence through offline face verification.
Benefits of the App
UIDAI authorities underlined multiple benefits for Aadhaar Number Holders like having Aadhaar details of up to five family members in the App; full control over what data of Aadhaar is shared; flexibility to disclose complete or selective Aadhaar information, one-click biometric lock/unlock for enhanced security and features like hassle-free mobile number and address update options.
Responses from the participants
The session received a decent response from ecosystem partners with numerous queries being addressed live by the UIDAI team. Participants were also encouraged to engage with UIDAI for exploring use cases, technical integration requirements and process of onboarding as Offline Verification Seeking Entities (OVSEs).
