Create archive for Aadhaar, CAG tells government

New Delhi, April 6

The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) has asked the government to develop an archive system for Aadhaar card data, so that it is not vulnerable. The report of the CAG tabled in Parliament on Wednesday said the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI), which administers the Aadhaar programme, is maintaining one of the largest biometric databases in the world, but did not have a data archiving policy, which is considered to be a vital storage practice.

“The UIDAI may frame a suitable data archival policy to mitigate the risk of vulnerability to data,” the CAG report said. It may ensure implementation of Aadhaar Data Vault and carry out periodic audits independently to enhance the security of Aadhaar data, the report said.

The CAG said the arrangements with the Department of Posts were not adequate to guarantee delivery of Aadhaar letters to the right addressee, as seen from the large number of Aadhaar letters being returned as undelivered. It said the UIDAI did not penalise the service provider for failure to achieve the expected service levels in the performance of biometric solutions. It asked the authority to levy penalties on service providers for deficiencies with respect to biometric authentication. —