Over 10 crore Aadhaar subscribers have linked their cards to their bank accounts as part of the government’s Digital India mission, the Planning Commission has said. According to the country’s apex planning agency, the step can help identify genuine beneficiaries and send government welfare subsidies directly into their bank accounts.
Citizens have to provide a copy of their Aadhaar card or e-Aadhaar to the bank branch where they hold an account to link their accounts. Once linked, subsidies like for LPG cylinders, MNREGA workers, PDS, scholarship and remittance etc. can be transferred by the government.
These subsidies can be availed by linked card holders even after beneficiaries moving to another part of the country or on change of account to another bank. As of now, 333 banks have joined the Aadhaar linking scheme. Citizens can check the status of their Aadhaar bank account link by dialling *99*99# on mobiles, the commission said.
These subsidies can be availed by linked card holders even after beneficiaries moving to another part of the country or on change of account to another bank. As of now, 333 banks have joined the Aadhaar linking scheme. Citizens can check the status of their Aadhaar bank account link by dialling *99*99# on mobiles, the commission said.
The Aadhar Payment Bridge (APB) platform of National Payment Corporation of India (NPCI) links the Government departments and other State agencies like OMCs (oil marketing companies) and their sponsor banks on the one side and beneficiary banks and the end beneficiary on the other side.
This payment service allows money to be directly credited in the bank account of the beneficiary once the account is seeded with the Aadhaar number. Using National Financial Mapper also simplifies the processing end to end as Aadhaar number acts as the common identifier across Government departments, Banks and the beneficiary, thus avoiding duplication of the beneficiary and efficiency enhancements in subsidy management.
The Central Government plans to have all households in the country covered under financial inclusion. Under the Jan Dhan Yojna launched since August, nearly 8.76 crore bank accounts have been opened so far. Banks have been asked to cover all the households before the end of this year and seek public feedback to ascertain and open accounts for rest of the households. Banks on their part seem to be dependent on the Aadhar-linked direct benefit transfers to make the financial inclusion drive viable.
Earlier in November, the Central Government had launched an Aadhaar-based digital life certificate called Jeevan Pramaan for the benefit of pensioners. Banks on their part seem to be dependent on the Aadhar-linked direct benefit transfers to make the financial inclusion drive viable.
The new system, being developed by the Department of Electronics and IT (DeitY), consists of a software application which allows recording the pensioner’s Aadhaar number and biometric details from a mobile device or computer via a biometric reading device, to establish that the pensioner was alive at the time of authentication, eliminating the need for them to be physically present.
However, in a ruling last year, the Supreme Court had ordered the government to not link social benefits to Aadhaar. Aadhar is merely a proof of identity, not that of citizenship, it held. But after the new BJP-led government was sworn in, Aadhar seems to be the choice of instrument for the government to implement its populist policies.
