DW BUREAU / Chandigarh

With a view to maximize the impact of Aadhar in the State of Punjab, the UIDAI Regional office, Chandigarh today successfully convened a workshop. It was inaugurated by Anirudh Tiwari, Special Chief Secretary-cum-Director General at Mahatma Gandhi State Institute of Public Administration in presence of Ms Bhawna Garg, IAS, DDG UIDAI, RO Chandigarh.

Various presentations on Aadhar ecosystem, authentication processes and use cases for deriving maximum impact of Aadhar were made. Over 60 representatives from various government departments, including Dr. Shena Aggarwal, Director cum Special Secretary of Social Security, Women and Child Development & Girish Dayalan, Director, Department of Governance Reforms & Public Grievances participated in the workshop.

The event featured insightful discussions led by prominent figures within UIDAI and Punjab's administrative framework. This workshop also emphasized on advancing Aadhar enrollment and verification in Punjab. Ms. Garg DDG UIDAI highlighted the importance of integration of various departments for enrolling children, including providing child enrolment tablets to the health department and equipping schools and the Woman and Child Development department with enrollment kits. For adults, stringent field verification process has been implemented. Ms. Garg also highlighted that QR code on Aadhar can be used to check authenticity.

Mr. Sanjeev Mahajan, Director, UIDAI presented a comprehensive overview of Aadhaar's principles and ecosystem and authentication use cases for good governance and ease of living. His session was followed by presentations from Mr. Jagdish Kumar Director, Mr. Ashutosh Kaushik Deputy Director of UIDAI RO Chandigarh on the critical aspects of Aadhar authentication and its procedural nuances that are crucial for ensuring secure and reliable service delivery across Punjab.

While summing up the workshop, Ms. Garg highlighted the importance of legal frameworks such as sectiomns 7 and 4(4)(b)(ii) of the Aadhaar Act. "By aligning legal frameworks with practical implementation strategies, we are ensuring that Aadhar continues to serve as a robust tool for governance and welfare", stated Mr. Anirudh Tiwari.

Participants expressed satisfaction with the insights gained and the collaborative spirit fostered throughout the sessions.
(editor@dailyworld.in)