U.T. government to maximise Aadhaar-enabled governance and citizen services

The administration will look to maximise Aadhaar-enabled governance and citizen services, especially with the UIDAI expected to set up a dedicated Aadhaar service centre in Puducherry shortly.

A cross-section of top officials from government who attended a high-level workshop on ‘Deriving Maximum Impact Out of Aadhaar’ hosted by the UIDAI Regional Office, Bengaluru, in coordination with the State Planning and Research Department, resolved to advance Aadhaar-driven governance and expand high-quality, resident-centric digital service delivery across the Union Territory, a press note said.

The workshop focused on developing a comprehensive roadmap for strengthening Aadhaar usage across the Union Territory and enhancing coordination between all departments involved in Aadhaar implementation and service delivery.

Chief Secretary Sharat Chauhan, who was the chief guest, announced that the UIDAI would establish its first dedicated Aadhaar Seva Kendra in Puducherry by March 2026. This would mark a major step toward strengthening digital public infrastructure and ensuring better resident service delivery.

The Chief Secretary highlighted Puducherry’s exceptional progress in Aadhaar implementation, noting that the Union Territory has generated 15.44 lakh Aadhaar numbers against the projected 2025 population of 14.05 lakh, achieving an impressive 109.85% coverage.

Aadhaar seeding stands at a notable 97%, enabling accurate beneficiary identification across various welfare schemes. The Union Territory has onboarded 137 schemes — 60 Centrally-Sponsored and 77 State schemes — on the Bharat Portal. In financial year 2024–25, Puducherry disbursed ₹1,022.21 crore through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT), demonstrating a strong commitment to transparency and reduction of leakages, Mr. Chauhan said.

Bhuvnesh Kumar, Chief Executive Officer, UIDAI, Government of India, in his keynote address, commended Puducherry for maintaining high standards of Aadhaar governance. He particularly appreciated the strong data protection and operational discipline of Puducherry. The official also emphasised the offline verification using Aadhaar App, deactivation of Aadhaar of deceased, mandatory biometric updates, verification through the State portal for new Aadhaar registrants and highlighted the importance of Aadhaar authentication including face authentication.

The programme was attended by all Secretaries to government, District Collector, Deputy Directors General (UIDAI), Additional Secretary, DBT, New Delhi, the Directors (UIDAI), heads of departments, and senior officers of the Puducherry Administration.

The event also brought together a wide range of Aadhaar ecosystem partners, including Registrars, Authentication and e-KYC User Agencies (AUA/KUA), and representatives from various departments of the territorial administration.

Experts and senior officials from Puducherry, neighbouring States, UIDAI headquarters, the Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) Mission, and the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) presented their initiatives and shared best practices in Aadhaar governance. During the workshop, three super senior citizens aged over 100 years were felicitated, the press note said.