Consider using app-based Aadhaar verification for citizen-facing services: Centre to states, UTs

📌 Summary:

• MeitY wrote to Chief Secretaries of all states and UTs to consider app-based Aadhaar verification for citizen-facing services
• Proposed use cases: hotel and guest-house registration, visitor management, hospital patient verification, and examination candidate checks
• Based on a recently launched UIDAI app that lets Aadhaar holders securely store, display and share Aadhaar-verifiable information with requesting entities
• Aim: cut document misuse and strengthen data-privacy safeguards by enabling secure identity checks without sharing the full Aadhaar number or photocopies

🎯 UPSC Relevance: GS2 — e-governance, transparency and accountability; data privacy (links to DPDP Act, 2023 and citizen-data protection)

📝 Prelims Facts:

• UIDAI is a statutory body under the Aadhaar Act, 2016; MeitY is the nodal ministry
• The new UIDAI app shares only verifiable information, not the Aadhaar number itself

🔑 Key Term: App-based Aadhaar verification — a QR/app-driven identity check that shares only verifiable attributes, not the Aadhaar number or physical photocopy