UIDAI introduces new digitally signed QR code on eAadhaar

     Written by : SMTV24x7 | Wed, Apr 11, 2018, 12:03 PM

UIDAI introduces new digitally signed QR code on eAadhaar

New Delhi, Apr 11: The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) has introduced secure digitally-signed QR code on eAadhaar that will now contain a photograph of the Aadhaar holder too, in addition to demographic details, to facilitate better offline verification of an individual.

"The UIDAI (Unique Identification Authority of India) has recently replaced existing QR code on eAadhaar having resident's demographic details now with a secured digitally-signed QR Code which contains demographics along with a photograph of the Aadhaar holder," a UIDAI official said.

A QR code is a form of barcode label which contains machine-readable information, while eAadhaar is the electronic version of Aadhaar that can be downloaded from UIDAI website. The new feature, the digitally-signed QR code, will contain photo of the Aadhaar holder in addition to existing facility of demographic details, in turn allowing various user agencies like banks to verify the authenticity of Aadhaar card offline.

When contacted UIDAI chief executive officer (CEO) Ajay Bhushan Pandey said, "This is a simple offline mechanism to quickly verify the genuineness of the Aadhaar card." However, to ensure that a person is a bona fide owner of the Aadhaar card, there has to be a manual check of a photo with the individual's face or though the use of agency-specific authentication scheme, he noted.

The UIDAI's eAadhaar QR Code reader software has been made available on the nodal body’s website from 27 March 2018.