Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has urged a comprehensive review of UIDAI’s functioning:
The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has urged a comprehensive review of UIDAI’s functioning after biometric verification failures led to wrongful exclusion from welfare schemes and raised concerns over data security breaches.
- PAC is a parliamentary committee that audits the accounts of the Union Government based on CAG reports.
- It Comprises 22 MPs (15 from Lok Sabha, 7 from Rajya Sabha); chaired by an opposition leader.
- Functions:
- Examines public expenditure to ensure it is used efficiently and legally.
- Reviews autonomous bodies and public undertakings funded by the government.
- Recently reviewed UIDAI based on the CAG’s 2021 report.
Issues Highlighted by PAC
- High failure rates exclude genuine beneficiaries from PDS, MGNREGA, etc.
- Worn fingerprints (manual labourers), iris mismatch (elderly).
- PAC flagged reports of Aadhaar data surfacing on the dark web.
- UIDAI claimed its central repository is secure and leaks mostly occur at enrolment centres.
- Aadhaar numbers exceed India’s population; slow deactivation after death raises risk of misuse.
- Citizens face difficulty correcting errors or resolving failed authentication issues.
- Some MPs warned of Aadhaar being accessed by non-citizens, leading to welfare misuse.
- Biometric mismatches deny genuine beneficiaries access to welfare schemes like PDS and MGNREGA.
- Data leaks and duplicated Aadhaar numbers expose citizens to identity theft and fraud.
- Frequent authentication failures and reports of data breaches reduce public faith in UIDAI.
- Fake or duplicated Aadhaar numbers enable ineligible persons to access subsidies.
- Grievance redressal failures and slow deactivation of deceased persons’ Aadhaar delay service delivery.
