Aadhaar Authentication API - Improving Transparency and Efficiency
With more than billion individuals already enrolled in the Central Identities Data Repository (CIDR), aadhaar is now becoming the standard resident authentication means. Government has already made it compulsory for availing many of their services. A unique identification number is linked to the demographic and biometric information of the individuals that can be used to identify them anywhere in India. Towards aadhaar enabled services and applications, aadhaar UIDAI authentication API (Application Programming Interface) offers online authentication using the individual’s demographic or biometric information.
Since aadhaar number is mandatory during authentication transaction, the appropriate record of the individual is fetched and a match of the demographic/ biometric data can complete the authentication process. To protect the privacy of the individuals, aadhaar biometric authentication service responds only with a “Yes or No” and no “Personal Identity Information” is disclosed in response. Aadhaar UIDAI authentication allows the individuals to prove their identity with the help of the demographic or biometric information captured during aadhaar enrolment, thus, making the entire process of authentication easy and accurate. Aadhaar biometric authentication can help the agencies in delivering services to the eligible individuals based on establishing their identity. This improves the transparency as well as efficiency in service delivery to a common man.
Aadhaar authentication system comprises of Authentication Service Agency (ASA) and Authentication User Agency (AUA). The different Aadhaar authentication methods include:
· Demographic Matching
It refers to the usage of Aadhaar authentication system by AUAs in matching the aadhaar number and demographic attributes of an individual with the submitted information from an authentication device.
· Biometric Matching
It is the usage of aadhaar authentication to match the aadhaar number and the biometric attributes of the individuals with their biometric data submitted from any authentication device.
· Matching using other Factors
Along with demographic and biometric authentication, aadhaar also supports certain other authentication factors like one time password. In this case, the individual seeking aadhaar authentication will receive an OTP on the registered mobile phone number which is provided during authentication and matched at the CIDR.
The service delivery agencies like banks, telecomm companies, etc. can mix and match the above factors to construct an appropriate authentication combination to suit their application requirements. All these combinations are available through aadhaar UIDAI authentication API that can only be accessed by the registered AUAs.