PAC Flags Aadhaar Biometric Verification failure, seeks systemic review
The Parliamentary Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has raised serious concerns about the functioning of UIDAI (Unique Identification Authority of India)
The main issue flagged is the high rate of Aadhaar biometric verification failure, leading to wrongful exclusion of beneficiaries from welfare schemes like PDS and MGNREGS.
The PAC, chaired by Congress MP K.C. Venugopal, received a briefing from the CAG and officials of the Ministry of Electronics and
UIDAI claims system upgrades are ongoing, but challenges remain in fingerprint recognition, especially for the elderly and manual labourers.
About Parliamentary Public Accounts Committee (PAC)
The PAC is the oldest of all House panels, first set up in 1921 in the wake of the Montague-Chelmsford Reforms.
Post-independence, with the Constitution coming into force on January 26, 1950, it became a Parliamentary Committee.
Composition:
Consists of not more than 22 members.
15 members are from Lok Sabha (Lower House of Parliament).
7 members are from Rajya Sabha (Upper House of Parliament).
Members are elected every year from amongst their respective Houses according to the principle of proportional representation by means of a single transferable vote.
The term of office of the members is one year.
No minister in the government can be a member of the Committee.
Chairman
The Chairman of the committee is appointed by the Speaker of Lok Sabha.
Since 1967, the chairman of the committee has traditionally been selected from the opposition party.
Primary Functions:
To examine the audit report of Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) after it is laid in Parliament.
To ascertain whether the money granted by Parliament has been spent by the government within the scope of the demand.
To scrutinize financial transactions of the government, ensuring public funds are utilized properly and within authorized scope.
To bring to light inefficiencies, wasteful expenditure, and carelessness in the implementation of policies and programs approved by Parliament.
To recommend corrective measures to address identified irregularities and improve financial accountability.
Relationship with CAG The CAG assists the committee during the course of its investigations and generally provides the basis for the committee’s work.
Scope of Audit:The PAC conducts comprehensive audits, including accountancy, regularity, appropriation, discretionary, and efficiency-cum-performance audits
Reporting:The committee presents its reports to the Parliament, highlighting observations, recommendations, and required actions from the government.
About Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI):
The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) is a statutory authority established by the Government of India under the Aadhaar (Targeted Delivery of Financial and Other Subsidies, Benefits and Services) Act, 2016.
Operating under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), its core mandate is to issue a unique 12-digit identification number, named “Aadhaar”, to all residents of India.
This aims to provide a robust and verifiable digital identity, eliminating duplicate and fake identities, and facilitating various government and non-government services.
Initially established on January 28, 2009, as an attached office of the then Planning Commission (now NITI Aayog).
Granted statutory status on July 12, 2016, under the provisions of the Aadhaar Act, 2016. The Aadhaar Act 2016 was further amended by the Aadhaar and Other Laws
(Amendment) Act, 2019.