UPSC Prelims Practice Questions — UIDAI enabling multi-modal authentication, facilitating periodic updation of details and strengthening infrastructure to mitigate authentication-related issues
Q1. The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) functions as a statutory authority under which of the following ministries?
- A. Ministry of Home Affairs
- B. Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology
- C. Ministry of Finance
- D. Ministry of Communications
Q2. As highlighted by MeitY/UIDAI in 2026, approximately how many crore live Aadhaar holders are there in India?
- A. 121 crore
- B. 129 crore
- C. 134 crore
- D. 145 crore
Q3. With reference to the modes of Aadhaar authentication recognised by UIDAI, consider the following:
1. Demographic authentication
2. One-Time Password (OTP) based authentication
3. Biometric authentication using fingerprint, iris and face
4. Voice-based authentication
Which of the above is/are correctly identified as Aadhaar authentication modes?
- Demographic authentication
- One-Time Password (OTP) based authentication
- Biometric authentication using fingerprint, iris and face
- Voice-based authentication
- A. 1 and 2 only
- B. 1, 2 and 3 only
- C. 2, 3 and 4 only
- D. 1, 2, 3 and 4
Q4. In which year was UIDAI's AI/ML-based Aadhaar Face Authentication first introduced?
- A. 2017
- B. 2019
- C. 2021
- D. 2023
Q5. With reference to the Supreme Court's 2018 Aadhaar judgment (Puttaswamy-II), consider the following:
1. The passage of the Aadhaar Act, 2016 as a Money Bill was upheld.
2. Section 57, permitting use of Aadhaar by private entities, was struck down.
3. The verdict was delivered by a unanimous (5:0) bench.
4. Mandatory linking of mobile numbers with Aadhaar was upheld.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- The passage of the Aadhaar Act, 2016 as a Money Bill was upheld.
- Section 57, permitting use of Aadhaar by private entities, was struck down.
- The verdict was delivered by a unanimous (5:0) bench.
- Mandatory linking of mobile numbers with Aadhaar was upheld.
- A. 1 and 2 only
- B. 2 and 3 only
- C. 1, 3 and 4 only
- D. 1, 2 and 4 only
Q6. With reference to the Puttaswamy verdicts and Aadhaar constitutionality, consider the following:
1. Puttaswamy-I (2017) recognised the right to privacy as a fundamental right under Article 21.
2. In 2018 the Court upheld Section 7, enabling Aadhaar-based delivery of subsidies and benefits, subject to safeguards.
3. The 2018 Court declared mandatory linking of bank accounts with Aadhaar unconstitutional.
4. The 2018 Aadhaar judgment overruled the right to privacy recognised in Puttaswamy-I.
Which of the above is/are NOT correct?
- Puttaswamy-I (2017) recognised the right to privacy as a fundamental right under Article 21.
- In 2018 the Court upheld Section 7, enabling Aadhaar-based delivery of subsidies and benefits, subject to safeguards.
- The 2018 Court declared mandatory linking of bank accounts with Aadhaar unconstitutional.
- The 2018 Aadhaar judgment overruled the right to privacy recognised in Puttaswamy-I.
- A. 1 only
- B. 4 only
- C. 2 and 3 only
- D. 1 and 4 only
Q7. Under UIDAI's biometric updation policy, on attaining which age must a child first complete a Mandatory Biometric Update (MBU) of Aadhaar?
- A. 3 years
- B. 5 years
- C. 7 years
- D. 15 years
Q8. In the context of Aadhaar, the term 'Mandatory Biometric Update (MBU)' most precisely refers to which of the following?
- A. Updating a child's biometrics — fingerprint, iris and photograph — on attaining the ages of 5 and 15
- B. Refreshing Proof of Identity and Proof of Address documents once every 10 years
- C. Re-registering a mobile number linked to Aadhaar after it changes
- D. Re-enrolment of Aadhaar after a card is reported lost or damaged
Q9. With reference to the scale of Aadhaar and its integration with welfare delivery as stated by UIDAI in 2026, consider the following:
1. Aadhaar underpins more than 3,100 Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) schemes.
2. Aadhaar enables delivery of more than 360 public services.
3. Cumulative Aadhaar authentication transactions have exceeded 17,000 crore.
4. Aadhaar-linked Direct Benefit Transfer was launched in 2009.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- Aadhaar underpins more than 3,100 Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) schemes.
- Aadhaar enables delivery of more than 360 public services.
- Cumulative Aadhaar authentication transactions have exceeded 17,000 crore.
- Aadhaar-linked Direct Benefit Transfer was launched in 2009.
- A. 1, 2 and 3 only
- B. 1 and 4 only
- C. 2, 3 and 4 only
- D. 1, 2, 3 and 4
Q10. UIDAI's indigenously developed AI models for fingerprint, face and iris matching (introduced in 2026) were developed in collaboration with which institution?
- A. Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay
- B. International Institute of Information Technology, Hyderabad
- C. Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru
- D. Indian Statistical Institute, Kolkata
Q11. Under the Aadhaar and Other Laws (Amendment) Act, 2019, a banking company or telecom licensee may verify a client's identity through how many alternative modes specified in the law?
- A. Two
- B. Three
- C. Four
- D. Five
Q12. UIDAI's 2026 AI-based biometric deduplication and verification platform deploys indigenously developed AI models across how many biometric modalities?
- A. Two
- B. Three
- C. Four
- D. Five