Commissioner Secretary, Information Technology, Saurabh Bhagat, today held a meeting at Civil Secretariat to review various aspects of Aadhaar generation and updation in Jammu and Kashmir.

The meeting was attended by Iftikhar Hussain Chauhan, Director Finance, IT Department; Meenakshi Vaid, Additional Secretary, ITD; Malika Raina, Under Secretary, ITD; Sh. Shoaib Khan, State Project Manager, UIDAI, J&K and other officers and officials.

The meeting was informed that J&K in collaboration with the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) organises Aadhaar camps across all districts regularly.  Further, in order to facilitate Aadhaar generation for newborns using verified birth certificates, Aadhaar enrollment facilities have been established in hospitals too.

Pertinently, for Aadhaar updation, UIDAI has launched a campaign across all districts of Jammu & Kashmir, urging Aadhaar holders to update their demographic details, biometrics, mobile number and supporting documents. The importance of keeping Aadhaar details such as name, age, date of birth, biometrics and other records, updated, was stressed upon in the meeting.

To support this effort of Aadhaar generation and updation, UIDAI, in collaboration with departments like School Education Department, ICDS Poshan, Banks and the Department of Posts, has established over 1000 Aadhaar centers in the Union Territory. More centers are being set up to make the process more accessible to the residents.

The residents who received their Aadhaar over 10 years ago and have not updated their details are advised to update their Aadhaar so as to avoid its suspension. Updates can be completed online or offline at the nearest Aadhaar center by submitting any proof of identity and address.

During the meeting, the Commissioner Secretary underscored the significance of Aadhaar as a document for accessing government services and benefits. He urged upon the residents, particularly those who have not updated their Aadhaar in over a decade, to update their demographic details, biometrics, and supporting documents. He also appealed the parents to ensure their children’s Aadhaar biometric details are updated at the age of 5 and 15 to keep their Aadhaar active.

The Commissioner Secretary laid emphasis on the need that all departments should work collaboratively with IT Department and UIDAI to further intensify efforts to achieve 100% Aadhaar saturation in the UT, expeditiously.

Saurabh Bhagat further instructed the concerned officials to intensify outreach programs and provide adequate resources to facilitate Aadhaar updates for the residents of the region.

Meanwhile, the Commissioner Secretary also highlighted the importance of Aadhaar authentication in various services and schemes for Good Governance and Direct Benefit Transfer to the eligible beneficiaries.

The Commissioner Secretary concluded the meeting with directions that all major deliverables, regarding Aadhaar, identified by Chief Secretary and as discussed comprehensively in this meeting should be completed in a time bound banner.