Introduction: The Unique Disability Identification (UDID) Scheme, administered by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, aims to streamline the delivery of services and benefits to persons with disabilities. This article discusses the scheme’s integration with Aadhaar, the benefits it offers, and its implementation mechanisms.
Analysis:
The UDID Scheme leverages the Aadhaar identity document to simplify the process of availing services and benefits for individuals with disabilities. It enhances transparency, efficiency, and convenience by eliminating the need for multiple identity documents. The scheme operates through the District Medical Authorities or other designated medical bodies, acting as Implementing Agencies.
Key features of the scheme include the creation of a unique central database for persons with disabilities and the recognition of the UDID card across the entire Union of India. These aspects facilitate the linking of various government schemes with the UDID card, thereby extending the potential benefits to the beneficiaries.
The implementation of the scheme involves recurring expenditure from the Consolidated Fund of India, reflecting the government’s commitment to enhancing the well-being of persons with disabilities.
Conclusion: The integration of the Unique Disability Identification (UDID) Scheme with Aadhaar represents a significant step towards inclusive and accessible governance. By providing a unified identification mechanism and enabling seamless benefits delivery, the scheme empowers persons with disabilities to access their entitlements conveniently. The scheme’s emphasis on ensuring that no genuine beneficiary is deprived of their rightful benefits underscores the government’s dedication to fostering an equitable society. The UDID Scheme is poised to make a positive impact on the lives of individuals with disabilities across the country.
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MINISTRY OF SOCIAL JUSTICE AND EMPOWERMENT
(Department Of Empowerment Of Persons With Disabilities (Divyangjan)
NOTIFICATION
New Delhi, the 8th August, 2023
S.O. 3590(E).—Whereas, the use of Aadhaar as an identity document for delivery of services or benefits or subsidies simplifies the Government delivery processes, brings in transparency and efficiency, and enables beneficiaries to get their entitlements directly in a convenient and seamless manner by obviating the need to produce multiple documents to prove one’s identity;
And whereas, the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities, Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, (hereinafter referred as the Department) in the Government of India is administering the Unique Disability Identification (UDID) (hereinafter referred to as the Scheme) as a Central Sector Scheme, which is being implemented through the District Medical Authorities or any other medical authority notified by the concerned Government or Union Territory Administration (hereinafter referred to as the Implementing Agency);
And whereas, under the Scheme, [unique central database of persons with disabilities, recognition of UDID card across the territory of the Union of India and potential benefits which may arise from time to time due to linking of various Government schemes with UDID card] (hereinafter referred to as the benefits) is given to persons with disabilities (hereinafter referred to as the beneficiaries) as per the Scheme and extend guidelines issued their under;
And whereas, the implementation of the Scheme involves recurring expenditure incurred from the Consolidated Fund of India;
Now, therefore, in pursuance of the provisions of section 7 of the Aadhaar (Targeted Delivery of Financial and Other Subsidies, Benefits and Services) Act, 2016 (18 of 2016) (hereinafter referred to as the said Act), the Central Government hereby notifies the following, namely:-
1. (a) an individual eligible for receiving the benefits under the Scheme shall be required to furnish proof of possession of Aadhaar number or undergo Aadhaar authentication;
(b) any individual desirous of availing benefits under the Scheme, who does not possess the Aadhaar number, or has not yet enrolled for Aadhaar, shall be required to make application for Aadhaar enrolment before registering for the Scheme, provided that he is entitled to obtain Aadhaar as per section 3 of the said Act, and such individual shall visit any Aadhaar enrolment centre (list available at the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) website www.uidai.gov.in) to get enrolled for Aadhaar;
(c) as per regulation 12 of the Aadhaar (Enrolment and Update) Regulations, 2016, the Department, through its Implementing Agency, is required to offer Aadhaar enrolment facilities for the beneficiaries who are not yet enrolled for Aadhaar and in case there is no Aadhaar enrolment centre located in the respective Block or Taluka or Tehsil, the Department through its Implementing Agency shall provide Aadhaar enrolment facilities at convenient locations in coordination with the existing Registrars of UIDAI or by becoming UIDAI Registrar themselves:
Provided that till the time Aadhaar is assigned to the individual, benefits under the Scheme shall be given to such individual, subject to the production of the following documents, namely :–
a. if he has enrolled, his Aadhaar Enrolment Identification slip; and
b. any one of the following documents, namely :-
i. Bank or post office passbook with photo; or
ii. Permanent Account Number (PAN) Card; or
iii. Passport; or
iv. Ration card; or
v. Voter identity card; or
vi. Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act card; or
vii. Kisan photo passbook; or
viii. Driving license issued by the Licensing Authority under the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 (59 of 1988); or
ix. Certificate of identity having photo of such person issued by a Gazetted Officer or a Tehsildar on an official letter head; or
x. any other document as specified by the Department:
Provided, further that the above documents may be checked by an officer specifically designated by the Department for that purpose.
2. In order to provide benefits to the beneficiaries under the Scheme conveniently, the Department through its Implementing Agency shall make all the required arrangements to ensure that wide publicity through media shall be given to the beneficiaries to make them aware of the requirement of Aadhaar under the Scheme.
3. In all cases, where Aadhaar authentication fails due to poor biometrics of the beneficiaries or due to any other reason, the following remedial mechanisms shall be adopted, namely:-
a. in case of poor fingerprint quality, iris scan or face authentication facility shall be adopted for authentication, and the Department, through its Implementing Agency, shall make provisions for iris scanners or face authentication along with finger-print authentication for delivery of benefits in seamless manner;
b. in case the biometric authentication through fingerprints or iris scan or face authentication is not successful, wherever feasible and admissible, authentication by Aadhaar One Time Password or Time-based One-Time Password with limited time validity, as the case may be, shall be offered;
c. in all other cases, where biometric or Aadhaar One Time Password or Time-based One-Time Password authentication is not possible, benefits under the Scheme may be given on the basis of physical Aadhaar letter whose authenticity can be verified through the Quick Response (QR) code printed on the Aadhaar letter and the necessary arrangement of Quick Response code reader shall be provided at convenient locations by the Department through its Implementing Agency.
4. In order to ensure that no bonafide beneficiary under the Scheme is deprived of his due benefits, the Department, through its Implementing Agency, shall follow the exception handling mechanism as specified in the Office Memorandum of Direct Benefit Transfer Mission, Cabinet Secretariat, Government of India No. D-26011/04/2017-DBT, dated the 19th December, 2017 (available on https://dbtbharat.gov.in/).
5. This notification shall come into effect from the date of its publication in the Official Gazette in all the States and Union territories.
[F.No. P-13013/24/2023-UDID/IT/STATISTICS]
RAJEEV SHARMA, Joint Secy.
