Aadhaar New Rule: Aadhaar Photocopies Cannot Be Collected in Hotels or Events Anymore! Centre Issues Strict Guidelines on Aadhaar Card

Aadhaar New Rule: The days of submitting photocopies of your Aadhaar card as proof of identity for hotel bookings or large events are coming to an end. The Aadhaar authority is set to issue a new guideline to this effect very soon. This major decision has been taken to maintain the privacy and security of personal data of the general public. Until now, we have often seen various hotels or event organizers collecting and storing photocopies of customers’ Aadhaar cards in the name of verification, which is actually contrary to the existing Aadhaar Act.

New Initiatives by UIDAI

Bhuvnesh Kumar, the CEO of the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI), has announced that this traditional practice of collecting Aadhaar photocopies will be completely stopped. Instead, a new framework has been developed. According to this new rule, entities that conduct Aadhaar-based verification, such as hotels or event management companies, will now have to register themselves with the specific system. Only after this registration will they be granted access to the new verification technology.

Paperless Verification Process

Technology is now being leveraged to reduce paper usage and prevent data misuse. Under the new rules, two main methods will be used for verification:

• QR Code Scanning: Identity can be verified instantly by scanning the QR code present on the customer’s Aadhaar card.
• Mobile Application: A new Aadhaar mobile app is under development, which will facilitate this process seamlessly.

According to the authorities, the primary objective of this new method is to discourage paper-based verification processes. This will not only help protect the environment but also ensure the security of customer data.

Offline Verification and Use of Technology

It is often observed that connecting to the central Aadhaar database becomes impossible due to internet issues or server downtime. To resolve this challenge, the new system also includes provisions for offline authentication. Entities requiring verification will be provided with a special API, which they can integrate into their own software. Currently, UIDAI is beta-testing a new app that will support ‘app-to-app’ authentication. As a result, there will be no need to connect to the central server for every single transaction. This technology can be utilized at various locations, ranging from airports to retail outlets.

Privacy Protection and Future Plans

The CEO of UIDAI emphasized that user privacy will be completely protected under this new system. The risk of data leakage or misuse associated with submitting paper photocopies will now be entirely eliminated. The Digital Personal Data Protection Act (DPDP Act) is set to become fully functional within the next 18 months. This new app is being developed in compliance with all the conditions of that law, allowing users to securely store information about other family members as well.