UIDAI Signs 5-Year Agreement with ISI for Joint R&D to Strengthen Aadhaar Security and Reliability.
National
In August 2025, the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) signed a five-year umbrella agreement with the Indian Statistical Institute (ISI) under the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI). The collaboration aims to enhance Aadhaar’s security, reliability, and robustness through advanced Research and Development (R&D) initiatives.
- The agreement was signed by Tanusree Deb Barma, Deputy Director General (Technology Centre), UIDAI, and Professor S.S. Daya Sagar, Head of ISI, in the presence of Bhavesh Kumar, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of UIDAI, and Pujika Singh Mandal, Additional Secretary, MoSPI. This high-level participation underscores the strategic importance of the initiative for India’s digital identity ecosystem.
- The primary objective of the UIDAI–ISI collaboration is to utilize ISI’s expertise in statistical analysis, big data, and artificial intelligence to strengthen Aadhaar’s infrastructure. The focus is on creating a more secure, efficient, and fraud-resistant identity system that can withstand emerging cyber threats.
- Research under the agreement will include developing fraud and anomaly detection mechanisms, biometric liveness detection tools, identification of high-risk enrolment and update categories, and enhancements in biometric matching algorithms. These innovations aim to ensure the authenticity and reliability of Aadhaar records while improving operational efficiency.
Main Point :- (i) The project will prioritize tools and methodologies jointly developed by UIDAI and ISI, ensuring that solutions are tailored for India’s scale and diversity. Emphasis will be placed on detecting fraudulent enrolments, strengthening authentication systems, and enhancing data-driven decision-making for Aadhaar’s operational framework.
(ii) Launched in January 2009 by the Government of India, UIDAI is mandated to issue a unique 12-digit identification number, known as Aadhaar, to all residents of India.
(iii) This number is backed by biometric and demographic data under the Aadhaar (Targeted Delivery of Financial and Other Subsidies, Benefits and Services) Act, 2016, making Aadhaar the world’s largest biometric ID system.
About Indian Statistical Institute (ISI)
President : Sankar Kumar Pal
Headquarters : Kolkata (West Bengal, WB)
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