GUWAHATI: The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) Regional Office, Guwahati organised a State-Level Workshop titled “Deriving Maximum-Impact Out of Aadhaar” at Vivanta, Guwahati on November 5, 2024.
The workshop brought together senior government officials and representatives from Assam, Tripura, Manipur, and Sikkim to discuss the expanded role of Aadhaar in promoting effective service delivery and enhancing ease of living in the Northeast region.
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Cmde. Dhiraj Sareen, Deputy Director General of UIDAI, Guwahati Regional Office, inaugurated the workshop by emphasising Aadhaar’s transformative role as a tool for empowerment and inclusivity. Reflecting on the initiative’s inception in 2009, he noted Aadhaar’s critical function in providing individuals with a unique, verifiable identity, which has facilitated access to government services, subsidies, and benefits for marginalised communities.
Cmde. Sareen encouraged stakeholders to further leverage the Aadhaar framework through systems such as the Aadhaar-based Attendance System, Aadhaar Authentication for land transactions, and the generation of Digital Life Certificates for pensioners. The workshop also served as a platform for officials to share progress and insights on Aadhaar usage across the region.
Chief Guest of the event, Ravi Kota, IAS, Chief Secretary, Government of Assam commended UIDAI for organising this informative session and highlighted Aadhaar’s vital role in ensuring that Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) schemes reach their intended beneficiaries. He urged participants to continue innovating ways to simplify public service delivery and enhance ease of living. Further underscoring Assam’s commitment to Aadhaar enrollment, M.S. Manivannan, IAS, Commissioner & Secretary, General Administration Department, Govt of Assam detailed the establishment of special enrolment camps in remote areas to ensure full Aadhaar coverage. He emphasised that the integration of Aadhaar Authentication by Assam’s state departments would further streamline social welfare delivery.
Sandeep R. Rathod, IAS, Secretary of the Rural Development Department, Government of Tripura, highlighted Tripura’s Aadhaar achievements, citing the use of Aadhaar-based biometric authentication for ration distribution and attendance monitoring in government offices. He reinforced Aadhaar’s role as a powerful tool in driving social welfare programs.
In addition to these keynote speeches, officials from UIDAI Headquarters, DITEC Assam, DBT Mission, India Post, and NPCI presented detailed insights on Aadhaar’s application in delivering subsidies and benefits under the Aadhaar Act, 2016.
Special focus was given to Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) schemes and the Aadhaar-enabled Payment System (AePS), along with the role of Aadhaar authentication in promoting good governance.
Nine operators from across the Northeast region were recognised for their outstanding service and exceptional customer relations. The awardees included two operators each from Tripura, Manipur, and Sikkim, along with three operators from Assam, all of whom demonstrated exemplary dedication and commitment in their roles.
Several officials and departments were honoured with Certificates of Merit for their exemplary contributions to Aadhaar implementation and outreach. Among the recipients were the General Administration Department (GAD), Govt. of Assam, the Special Secretary, Home Department from the Government of Manipur; the Department of Economic Statistics, Monitoring & Evaluation (DESM&E) from the Government of Sikkim; and the Rural Development Department (RDD) from the Government of Tripura. Additionally, commendations were awarded to CSC e-Governance Services, Women and Child Development (WCD) Department from the Government of Assam; and the India Post Payments Bank (IPPB) of Tripura for their dedicated efforts.
The event concluded with a vote of thanks by Kapil Jambhulkar, Director, UIDAI Regional Office, Guwahati, who reiterated UIDAI’s commitment to supporting Northeast states in maximising the potential of Aadhaar.
