New Delhi, Jan 29 (NationPress) The government has launched a revolutionary new Aadhaar mobile application aimed at streamlining identity verification processes, making them quicker, safer, and more user-friendly. This app empowers users to manage and share their digital identity directly from their smartphones.

This innovative application allows individuals to present their Aadhaar information for verification without the need for a physical card or photocopy submissions. Users can selectively share only the necessary details based on specific use cases, thereby expediting identity checks at various locations, including airports, hotels, hospitals, and numerous service platforms.

Notable features include QR code-based offline verification for hotel check-ins and similar services, optional face verification to confirm user presence, and age verification for activities such as cinema ticket bookings.

The official statement highlighted, "Crafted for user convenience across diverse demographics, the Aadhaar App caters to a multitude of real-life scenarios. This encompasses hotel check-ins via Offline Verification Seeking Entity’s (OVSE) QR code scanning, optional face verification, and age verification for cinema tickets, along with hospital admissions for visitors and attendants, and verification for gig workers and service partners, among others."

Furthermore, the application enables users to lock or unlock their biometrics with a single click. Users can also monitor their Aadhaar authentication history and manage up to five Aadhaar profiles on a single device through a feature dubbed “One Family–One App.”

In addition to address updates, users can now modify their registered mobile numbers through the app, significantly reducing the need for in-person visits to banks or Aadhaar update centers for minor adjustments. The government has also indicated more update services will be available in the future.

It was emphasized that Aadhaar numbers will not be retained by verifying agencies when data is shared through the application, ensuring that only digitally signed and verified information is exchanged. This approach minimizes the risk of misuse and aligns with the Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Act.

Developed by the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI), the app was introduced by Minister of State for Commerce and Industry and Electronics and IT, Jitin Prasada.

The Secretary of the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, S. Krishnan, stated that this new app will advocate for data minimization, enhance security, and facilitate selective information sharing by Aadhaar number holders.

Senior UIDAI officials noted that the transition from paper to a paperless system represents a significant advancement, emphasizing the app's core feature of selective credential sharing. Residents can share only the necessary identity fields required for specific use cases through customized QR codes generated by requesting entities.

aar/na