Lok Sabha Question No. 2853 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-08-06
Subject: Issues in Biometric Verification of Aadhaar Cards
Ministry: ELECTRONICS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
Asked by: Shri Raja A

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF ELECTRONICS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2853

TO BE ANSWERED ON: 06.08.2025

## ISSUES IN BIOMETRIC VERIFICATION OF AADHAAR CARDS

## 2853. SHRI RAJA A:

Will the Minister of ELECTRONICS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY be pleased to state:

- (a) whether there are any complaints received about issues arising out of biometric verification of aadhaar cards for the beneficiaries and if so, the details thereof;
- (b) whether any survey conducted to find out the extent of rejection of benefits to genuine beneficiaries under various schemes due to non-clearance in biometric verification and if so, the details thereof;
- (c) whether any review made to resolve the issues, since many common people especially ladies and senior citizens  are  affected  as  verification  is  not  completed  due  to  faint  fingerprints  and  the  verification instrument having old version etc.; and
- (d) if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE FOR ELECTRONICS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY (SHRI JITIN PRASADA)

(a)  to  (d):  The  Unique  Identification  Authority  of  India  (UIDAI)  issues  Aadhaar,  a  12-digit  unique identification number, to residents based on their biometric and demographic data.

Aadhaar serves as a digital identity for accessing various services through authentication carried out by the respective organizations providing those services. As on date, about 142 crore Aadhaar numbers have been issued and more than 13,000 crore authentications have been carried out by various organisations.

The Aadhaar Act mandates every organisation to inform the Aadhaar holder of alternative and viable means of identification, and not deny any service to him for refusing or being unable to undergo Aadhaar authentication.

UIDAI  has  institutional  mechanisms  to  address  the  issues  related  to  fingerprint-based  biometric authentication, which are often attributed to factors such as biometric lock, worn-out fingerprints due to old age, or manual labour-intensive occupations.

To  address  these  issues  and  facilitate  easy  identity  verification,  UIDAI  offers  multiple  modes  of authentication, including:

- Demographic authentication
- One-Time Password (OTP) based authentication
- Biometric authentication using face, fingerprint and iris
- QR code scanning (offline verification)

UIDAI often undertakes following initiatives to improve these modes of authentication:

- Training of operators
- Promotion of face and iris authentication for residents with worn fingerprints
- Regular updates of deployed devices and software
- Encouraging best finger detection by requesting organisations to enhance fingerprint match accuracy

In addition, UIDAI conducts workshops and media campaigns to raise awareness about:

- Availability and use of alternate modes of authentication
- Importance of periodic biometric updates by Aadhaar holders

UIDAI's face authentication is especially beneficial for senior citizens and manual labourers who often face challenges with fingerprint-based authentication.

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