The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) is working to ensure that no one is left behind when it comes to registration in the nation’s biometric ID program, Aadhaar. Earlier this month, the UIDAI launched a campaign to register any last voters in 22 states in which Aadhaar registration has already reached virtually 100 percent.
Any individuals in the targeted states who haven’t yet been registered for Aadhaar will be given priority processing once they have submitted their applications. As UIDAI CEO Dr. Ajay Bhushan Pandey explained in a statement announcing the initiative, it’s “in furtherance of our enrolment [sic.] exercise to achieve universal coverage for Aadhaar across the country.”
The UIDAI says there are currently over 1.066 billion citizens enrolled in the program, which is used in the administration of a growing range of civil services. Not only is Aadhaar used to verify individuals for government subsidy access and for banking, it’s also being considered for more niche applications such as vetting organ donors to disrupt illegal trafficking. And with authorities now starting to assign Aadhaar numbers to newborns, a new generation will grow up with their biometrics tied to a huge range of civic activities. Meanwhile, the UIDAI is clearly making every effort to ensure that all adults are brought onboard, too.
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October 27, 2016 – by Alex Perala
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