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The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) is a government body created to issue Unique Identification Numbers (UID), which are also known as ‘Aadhaar numbers’ to all the residents of India. The UIDAI is responsible for Aadhaar enrolment and authentication and issue of Aadhaar cards to citizens. It shall also be responsible for operation management for the Aadhaar allotments, developing policies, processes and systems for the issue of the Aadhaar number, and adhering to strict security of the identity of the individuals.
The first Aadhaar number was issued in September 2010 to a resident of Maharashtra. As of 30 November 2022, the Authority had issued more than 135.1071 crore Aadhaar numbers to residents across India.
UIDAI is a statutory authority established under the Aadhaar Act, 2016 by the Government of India, under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY).
Full form of UIDAI: | Unique Identification Authority of India |
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Establishing Date: | 12 July 2016 |
Under Ministry: | Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) |
CEO of UIDAI: | Amit Agarwal |
UIDAI Headquarters: | Delhi |
It is the brainchild of Sir Nandan Nilekani, who had the vision to deliver a unique identification number to each Indian, which would eliminate duplicate/fake identities cost-effectively. The government introduced Aadhaar, which also supports verification and authentication. The Unique Identification Authority of India was created to issue a 12-digit Unique Identification Numbers (UID) under Aadhaar to all the residents of India, besides other responsibilities mentioned above.
The primary objective of the UIDAI is to issue a UID for every individual to prevent duplication of identities and for verification and authentication of identity in a cost-effective manner.
The UIDAI provides various services relating to Aadhaar online and offline. The following are the services offered by the UIDAI:
Aadhaar enrolment services | Update Aadhaar services | Other Services |
Locating an enrolment centre | Update Aadhaar at enrolment centre | Verification of Aadhaar number |
Booking an appointment at an Aadhaar Seva Kendra | Check the Aadhaar update status | Verification of mobile number and email ID |
Checking Aadhaar status | Update demographics data and check the status | Locking and unlocking of biometrics |
Downloading Aadhaar | Check the Aadhaar update history | Logging of complaints |
Order Aadhaar PVC card | Retrieve lost or forgotten EID/UID | |
Check the Aadhaar PVC card status | Virtual ID (VID) generation | |
Aadhaar paperless offline e-KYC | ||
Aadhaar authentication history | ||
Aadhaar lock and unlock service | ||
Aadhaar SMS services |
Individuals can visit the official UIDAI website to access Aadhaar online services. They can get Aadhaar services offline through Aadhaar enrolment centres or Aadhaar Seva Kendras.
In addition to the services offered, the UIDAI plays a vital role in ensuring confidentiality, good governance, and developing methods to provide a more robust system. Some places where the UIDAI plays an important role are:
UIDAI Aadhaar enrollment centres:
Aadhaar Seva Kendra is a facility provided by UIDAI. if you want to create an Aadhaar card or update information on your Aadhaar card. You will have to visit an Aadhaar Seva Kendra or an enrollment centre. Click here to know more.
Unique Identification Authority of India (“Authority/UIDAI”) has its Head Office (HO) in New Delhi and eight Regional Offices (ROs) across the country. UIDAI has two Data Centres, one at Hebbal (Bengaluru), Karnataka and another at Manesar (Gurugram), Haryana
Composition of the Authority
The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) consists of a Chairperson, two part-time Members and the Chief Executive Officer (CEO), who is also the Member-Secretary of the Authority. The present composition of the Authority is as under:
Chairperson (Part-time): Sh. Neelkanth Mishra
Member (Part-time): Prof. Mausam
Member (Part-time): Sh. Nilesh Shah
The Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Sh. Amit Agrawal, IAS (CG:93), is the legal representative and administrative head of the Authority.
The DDGs are assisted by Assistant Directors General (ADGs), Deputy Directors, Section Officers and Assistant Section Officers. The HQ has a total sanctioned strength of 127 officers and staff members, including the accounts and IT branches. Each regional office is headed by a Deputy Director General (DDG).
Grievances Redressal of UIDAI
Grievances at UIDAI are received through the following modes:
Grievances can be lodged by calling the toll-free number of the UIDAI - 1947. The grievances are examined and then forwarded online to the concerned officer to dispose of/resolve them.
Residents have the option to post their grievances to the headquarters or regional offices of the Unique Identification Authority of India. The grievances are examined and then forwarded in hardcopy to the concerned officer/public grievance officer at UIDAI. The concerned regional office/concerned section disposes of the grievance by replying directly to the complainant under intimation to the grievance cell, UIDAI.
Grievances are received by the UIDAI through the public grievance portal – pgportal.gov.in. Grievances can also be registered on the UIDAI website by entering the required details.
Grievances can be sent to the following email - help@uidai.gov.in.
Office by Region | State or Union Territories covered |
Mumbai | Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa, Dadar & Nagar Haveli, Daman & Diu |
Delhi | Madhya Pradesh, Delhi, Uttarakhand and Rajasthan |
Bengaluru | Kerala, Tamil Naidu, Pondicherry, Lakshadweep and Karnataka |
Chandigarh | Chandigarh, Jammu & Kashmir, Punjab, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh |
Guwahati | Tripura and Sikkim, Mizoram, Nagaland, Manipur, Meghalaya, Arunachal Pradesh and Assam |
Hyderabad | Andaman and Nicobar, Chhattisgarh, Orissa, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh |
Lucknow | Uttar Pradesh |
Ranchi | West Bengal, Jharkhand, Bihar |
Regional Offices (ROs) | State Offices (ROs) | Jurisdiction |
RO Bengaluru | Thiruvananthapuram | Kerala |
RO Delhi | Bhopal | Madhya Pradesh |
RO Hyderabad | Bhubaneswar | Odisha |
RO Mumbai | Ahmedabad | Gujarat |
RO Ranchi | Kolkata | West Bengal |
A Masked Aadhaar reveals only the last four digits and hides or masks the first eight digits of your Aadhaar number. The Masked Aadhaar has been issued for the last 5 years but not many were aware of it. UIDAI recently issued an advisory to increase awareness amongst people and promote the use of Masked Aadhaar. Click here to know more.
A Masked Aadhaar reveals only the last four digits and hides or masks the first eight digits of your Aadhaar number. The Masked Aadhaar has been issued for the last 5 years but not many were aware of it. UIDAI recently issued an advisory to increase awareness amongst people and promote the use of Masked Aadhaar.
The UIDAI has released a new app for Android and IOS users to enable Aadhaar holders to download their Aadhaar card on mobile phones and keep it handy. The app is known as the mAadhaar app. The app allows you to do the following:
UIDAI has launched an online service named “Order Aadhaar PVC Card,” allowing you to have your Aadhaar details printed on a PVC card for a nominal fee. It is designed to fit conveniently into your wallet, resembling a debit or credit card. You can place an order using either your registered or unregistered number. Click here to find out more.