In a significant step towards promoting data privacy and lawful governance, the Punjab Police's Community Affairs Division (CAD), in collaboration with the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI), held a high-level awareness workshop on the secure and responsible use of Aadhaar in policing and public service delivery.
The workshop, organized at Chandigarh, saw the active participation of around 100 field police officers from across Punjab and was led by CMDE Dhiraj Sarin, Deputy Director General, UIDAI Regional Office, Chandigarh. Senior police officials, including Special DGP Gurpreet Kaur Deo and ADGP TSS Ram Singh were also present to guide discussions on how Aadhaar can be effectively and lawfully integrated into police operations.
The training session focused on the legal framework of the Aadhaar Act, 2016, especially Section 33, which pertains to the sharing of Aadhaar information under specific legal conditions. The session also highlighted privacy safeguards, data protection protocols, and the importance of consent-based Aadhaar verification in line with statutory norms.
Participants were given hands-on demonstrations of Aadhaar verification tools such as the M-Aadhaar app, ensuring officers are technically equipped to verify identities without risking misuse of personal data.
Speaking at the event, Special DGP Gurpreet Kaur Deo emphasized that this initiative enhances coordination between UIDAI and law enforcement, enabling the police to use Aadhaar verification responsibly without compromising residents' privacy. “Our officers are now better trained to navigate the fine line between verification and privacy protection,” she added.