UIDAI — Unique Identification Authority: Complete 101 Guide
UIDAI — Unique Identification Authority: Complete 101 Guide Last updated: March 2026 What is UIDAI? UIDAI (Unique Identification Authority of India) is the statutory authority under MeitY that issues Aadhaar - the 12-digit unique identity number to residents of India. Key Facts Established: 2009 (became statutory in 2016) Headquarters: New Delhi Vision: To enable inclusive, broad-based development Legal Framework: Aadhaar Act 2016 Functions of UIDAI Function Description Enrolment Register new Aadhaar holders Authentication Verify Aadhaar identities Policy Issue regulations, standards Grievance Handle complaints, appeals UIDAI Structure Organizational Hierarchy Chairperson: Chief executive Two Whole-time Members: Technical, Finance Two Part-time Members: From various sectors CEO: Day-to-day operations Regional Offices 6 Regional Offices 2 Deputy Directors General Multiple Facilitation Centres Aadhaar Services Enrolment Permanent Enrolment Centres (PEC) Bank-based enrolment Post Office enrolment Mobile enrolment vans Authentication Types Type Method Use Case Biometric Fingerprint/Iris Banking, Govt schemes OTP Mobile OTP SIM, Low-risk Static PIN Password Offline verification Privacy & Security Data Protection Measures Encryption at rest and in transit Aadhaar data encrypted with TOS No data sharing without consent Regular security audits Consumer Rights Right to access own data Right to correction Right to deletion (with exceptions) Grievance redressal mechanism