UIDAI issues guidelines to entities seeking offline Aadhar verification

Aadhaar-issuing body UIDAI has issued a set of guidelines for Offline Verification Seeking Entities. "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. "UIDAI has issued a set of guidelines to Offline Verification Seeking Entities highlighting several usage hygiene issues, better safety mechanisms at users level, and ways to further enhance residents’ trust while using Aadhaar voluntarily for lawful purposes," it said. Verification entities, generally, should not collect, use or store Aadhaar number of the resident after having conducted offline verification of Aadhaar, according to UIDAI. "UIDAI has cautioned OVSEs not to perform offline verification on behalf of any other entity or person and ensure full cooperation to the Authority or law enforcement agencies in case of any investigation involving misuse of Aadhaar," the statement said.