Aadhaar biometric information may be used for passports

MUMBAI: The Unique Identification Authority of India is in talks with the Union external affairs ministry to link the Aadhaar card to the passport issuing process to make it simpler.

"Biometric information is already captured for the unique ID cards. It means people who use their UID card for KYC (Know Your Customer) can skip the queue for biometrics at the passport centre," said a senior official from UIDAI. The Aadhaar card is already valid address and identity proof for passports.

In a workshop organized on Monday to push the e-KYC service flagged off in May, officials said it aims to integrate and simplify the data accumulation and verification needed for a series of services like getting a new SIM card, passport or bank account.

The e-KYC allows individuals to authorize service providers to receive an electronic copy of their proof of identity and address that was given for the UID card. Only demographic information (name, address, date of birth, gender and mobile number) collected during Aadhaar enrolment will be shared at the request of and/or with the consent of the Aadhaar user. The person can authorize UIDAI to release the KYC data either in person (through biometric authentication) or online through a one-time password (that can be sent to a phone number or email).

"The department of revenue has notified e-KYC as a valid KYC process. This means agencies that subscribe to this format of KYC can make it easy for their new customers. The whole process can be made paperless," said UIDAI chairman Nandan Nilekani at the workshop in Bandra aimed at the banking and telecom sectors.

The merits of this service include easy-to-keep records that are cost-effective and non-disputable. The transactions can be tracked in case of any query, explained an official.

So far Maharashtra has received over 6 crore Aadhaar cards that cover more than 80% of the city population.