Unique Identification Authority of India
Also called: UIDAI · Topic: Transparency, Accountability and e-Governance · NCERT: Beyond NCERT
Meaning
The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) is the body that runs Aadhaar. It enrols residents, gives out the 12-digit Aadhaar number and runs authentication. Authentication means checking that a person is who they say they are. The government first set it up in January 2009 by an executive notification, which is an order of the government and not a law. Nandan Nilekani was its head. It became a statutory body, meaning a body created by law, under the Aadhaar Act 2016, which was passed as a Money Bill. It works under the Ministry of Electronics and IT (MeitY). It matters because Aadhaar authentication is used for subsidies paid from the Consolidated Fund (s.7).
Example
UIDAI issued the first Aadhaar number on 29 September 2010. In the Puttaswamy Aadhaar judgment (2018), the Supreme Court upheld Aadhaar for welfare and PAN linking. It struck down s.57, which allowed private use.
Don't confuse with
- Aadhaar: this is the 12-digit number itself. UIDAI is the authority that issues it and checks it.
- Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT): this pays benefits into bank accounts. It uses Aadhaar, but DBT is not run by UIDAI.