Centre expands Aadhaar verification to concert entries, gig workers via new app

The Centre plans to expand Aadhaar-based identity checks to cover services such as concert entry, hospital admissions, and the verification of food-delivery personnel. The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) is preparing to launch an application to support these scenarios. Officials discussed the plans during a webinar on November 18. The application aims to facilitate identity verification for individuals and businesses through privacy controls and an offline proof-of-presence mechanism.

One feature is selective data sharing, where individuals approve only the information required for a specific service. For instance, users might share a photograph and name for event entry or verify age for purchases without disclosing other details. A separate offline proof-of-presence system uses on-device facial verification. This method operates locally on the phone and does not require a connection to UIDAI servers, distinguishing it from the face authentication currently used by government departments.

Officials listed use cases for the application across public and private sectors. These include hotel check-ins, access control for gated societies, office entry, and workforce checks for cab aggregators. Organisations will use a QR code for Aadhaar holders to scan. UIDAI intends to release regulations to govern this offline verification. The system creates a category called Offline Verification Seeking Entity (OVSE). Registered entities may apply online to generate verification QR codes. This process aims to replace current practices where businesses ask customers to manually fetch data via OTP-based logins.