Story thread · 2 reports / 2 sources

Aadhaar biometrics rule for subsidies effectively makes India’s digital ID mandatory

biometricupdate.com · 19h · first reportShare

India’s Aadhaar became the world’s largest digital ID system without being made official mandatory. But is possessing the national ID really a choice for Indians? What if they are poor? As of October 1, Biometric Aadhaar Authentication becomes mandatory for previously-registered beneficiaries to receive subsidized LPG (liquid petroleum gas) for household use. The Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas announced the change to help prevent the fraudulent diversion of subsidized LPG to businesses and ineligible households. India’s government subsidizes the household cooking fuel through the PMUY program, which distributes fuel directly to beneficiaries, and the PAHAL program, which deposits subsidies directly into the bank accounts of recipients. Authentication for the programs can be completed at fuel distributor’s shops, through their mobile apps, or through home-visit services. The government has already established and pushed back eight deadlines to complete biometric authentication, sta