Delhi’s Unified Citizen Data Platform will use Aadhaar-based identity verification to create a shared digital record of beneficiaries of government welfare schemes, but the verification will remain voluntary and no person can be denied benefits for refusing or being unable to complete it, according to a notification reported by Jagran.
The Delhi government’s Information Technology Department has notified the use of Aadhaar authentication for the platform after the Union Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology obtained permission from the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI), the report said. The approval followed consultations between the ministry and UIDAI.
The proposed platform is intended to bring information about beneficiaries of different Delhi government schemes into one system. The government expects the shared database to make it easier to identify eligible recipients, detect duplication where the same person is recorded under multiple schemes and improve transparency in the distribution of assistance.
The notification reportedly requires the consent of the individual before Aadhaar-based verification is carried out. This means the digital platform is being designed around an identity verification option rather than making Aadhaar authentication an unconditional requirement for receiving welfare support.
The government has also permitted alternative identity documents for establishing a beneficiary’s identity. These include a voter identity card, driving licence, passport and other photo identity documents issued by the Central or state government.
The notification specifically states that a person who declines Aadhaar authentication, or is unable to complete it for any reason, cannot be excluded from a government service or welfare scheme on that basis. The alternative-document provision is intended to preserve access for beneficiaries who do not use Aadhaar authentication or face difficulties with the process.
The Unified Citizen Data Platform was announced several months ago by Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta. Its proposed function is to consolidate details of people receiving benefits under different government schemes, allowing departments to access a common beneficiary record rather than maintaining entirely separate datasets.
For the administration, the platform could create a common basis for checking eligibility and identifying overlapping records across schemes. For beneficiaries, the notification establishes that participation in Aadhaar verification is voluntary and that other approved identity documents can be used. The report does not provide a launch date for the complete platform, the number of schemes to be integrated or details of the departments that will be connected first.
The next stage will involve implementing the notified verification framework through the Delhi government’s Information Technology Department and the welfare schemes covered by the shared platform. The reported safeguards require departments to retain alternative identity verification and ensure that refusal or inability to complete Aadhaar authentication does not by itself stop access to benefits.
