Aadhaar-issuing body UIDAI has issued a set of guidelines to Offline Verification Seeking Entities (OVSEs) with several usage hygiene protocols, stronger safety mechanisms at user level and ways to enhance residents' trust while using Aadhaar voluntarily.
Notably, entities have been told to perform verification of Aadhaar after explicit consent of a Aadhaar holder. Also, entities must maintain the log or record of the explicit consent received from residents for any future audit by Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) or any other legal agency.
"These entities need to be courteous to residents and assure them about the security and confidentiality of their Aadhaar while conducting offline verification," UIDAI said in a statement.
The authority has also asked OVSEs to verify Aadhaar via the QR Code present on all four forms of Aadhaar (Aadhaar letter, e-Aadhaar, m-Aadhaar and Aadhaar PVC card) instead of accepting Aadhaar in physical or electronic form as a proof of identity.
Offline verification involves the use of the 12-digit Aadhaar for carrying out identity verification and KYC processes locally, without connecting to the Central Identities Data Repository of UIDAI.