Chhattisgarh Rapidly Advancing in the IT Sector: UIDAI CEO Bhuvnesh Kumar
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Raipur, 20 June
A one-day state-level workshop on the theme “Maximizing the Benefits of Aadhaar Usage” was organized today at the Convention Hall of New Circuit House, Raipur, by the Regional Office of the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI), Hyderabad. The primary goal of the workshop was to promote the widespread and effective use of Aadhaar in the state, linking it with welfare schemes to enhance transparency and move towards stronger digital governance. The workshop was held under the guidance of Chief Secretary Shri Amitabh Jain.
In the inaugural session, UIDAI CEO Shri Bhuvnesh Kumar, the chief guest, stated that Chhattisgarh is making rapid strides in the field of IT. He mentioned that nearly 1.4 billion Aadhaar numbers have been generated across India, directly benefiting citizens. Today, Aadhaar has become the most powerful tool for individual empowerment. He also shared that UIDAI is developing a new software using innovative technologies to fully digitize the Aadhaar enrollment and update process, minimizing procedural difficulties. To make Aadhaar more reliable and effective, it is being integrated with services such as birth certificates, PAN cards, passports, MGNREGA, and the Public Distribution System (PDS).
Principal Secretary of the Department of Electronics and Information Technology, Smt. Niharika Barik Singh, emphasized that Aadhaar plays a crucial role in achieving the goals of good governance and digital transformation. Aadhaar has become India’s most transformative digital identity platform, enabling welfare benefits to reach the last mile. She highlighted Aadhaar’s role as the foundation of inclusive, transparent, and accountable governance, underscoring the Chhattisgarh government’s commitment. She noted that Aadhaar has been successfully integrated into public distribution, pension disbursement, MGNREGA wage payments, and social security schemes. Furthermore, its role is being strengthened in digital platforms like e-District, Public Service Guarantee, and the State DBT Portal.
Smt. P. Sangeeta, Deputy Director General, UIDAI Regional Office, Hyderabad, shared that Aadhaar has undergone a remarkable transformation over the past two decades. It is no longer just a 12-digit number, but the backbone of good governance and Digital India. Aadhaar-related rules and policies are updated periodically and shared with all stakeholders.
DDGs from UIDAI Headquarters, Shri Vivek Chandra Verma and Shri Vinod Kumar Singh, delivered lectures on recent initiatives in Aadhaar usage, covering benefit delivery, authentication services, and the Aadhaar Enabled Payment System under the Aadhaar Act, 2016.
Col. Nikhil Sinha, Director at UIDAI Headquarters, presented on recent developments and new policies in the Aadhaar enrollment and update ecosystem. Lt. Col. Sanjeev Yadav, Director, shared insights on Aadhaar authentication and provided comparative data from Chhattisgarh and other states.
As part of the session on Initiatives and Best Practices, Revenue Commissioner of Bengaluru, Shri Sunil Kumar Pommala, shared experiences of Aadhaar’s technical application in land management systems and its positive impact on agricultural schemes in Karnataka.
CEO of CHiPS, Shri Prabhat Malik, spoke on the scope of Aadhaar authentication in Chhattisgarh, stating that Aadhaar helps eliminate ineligible beneficiaries from schemes, ensuring benefits reach the rightful recipients.
Lt. Col. Sharat Nambiar, Director at UIDAI Hyderabad, also addressed the gathering. During the workshop, 14 Aadhaar center operators appointed by CHiPS, who achieved high accuracy in Aadhaar enrollment and updates over the past six months, were felicitated.
Participants raised various Aadhaar-related questions during the session, to which experts provided meaningful insights and resolved doubts.
The workshop was attended by senior officials from various departments including Shri Rajat Kumar (Secretary, Industry & Commerce and General Administration), Shri Avinash Champawat (Secretary, Revenue), Dr. Kamalpreet Singh (Secretary, Public Works Department), senior officers from state departments, and Aadhaar operators from various districts.