Aadhaar-based face authentication is gaining traction, having jumped to 10.6 million, up 34% since the start of this financial year, due to its increasing use in accessing central as well as several Services. Latest government data estimates that its use has increased over 22 times since last September.
The service, introduced by theUnique Identification Authority of India(UIDAI) in October 2021, initially saw a slow to take off but has gained traction in recent months.
Official sources saidAndhra Pradeshgovernment is one of the top users among the states for its Jagananna Vidya Deevena Scheme for fee reimbursement to eligible higher Education students and under the EBC Nestham scheme for welfare delivery to Women from economically backward segments.
Face authentication is also used by central government staf for attendance and by senior citizens to provide life certification through the Jeevan Pramaan facility launched by the department of personnel and training.Aayushmaan Bharatand PM-Kisan are the two central schemes where the use of the tool has significantly picked up.