The Chief Secretary of Punjab, Sh. K.A.P Sinha, today chaired a meeting of the Unique Identification Implementation Committee (UIDIC) cum Workshop on Aadhaar Usage at the Punjab Secretariat. The session, attended by heads and directors of various departments, underscored the importance of achieving 100% Aadhaar penetration for children in the 0-5 age group across Punjab.
Sh. Sinha directed all departments, including banks and the Department of Post, to activate Aadhaar enrolment kits without delay and maximize the use of available resources to achieve this target. Smt. Bhawna Garg, DDG UIDAI RO Chandigarh, highlighted the need for special efforts to improve Aadhaar enrolment for children aged 0-5.
She suggested deploying Aadhaar kits at immunization centers and facilitating collaboration between the Health Department and the Department of Women and Child Development (WCD) for better coverage. Additionally, Smt. Garg urged the School Education Department to create a detailed action plan to identify children who require Mandatory Biometric Updates (MBUs) at the age of 5 and 15.
This will ensure smooth access to government schemes, scholarships, and educational benefits. The workshop also presented case studies of how Aadhaar-based face authentication can be leveraged to improve service delivery.
Smt. Garg encouraged departments to integrate face authentication into their schemes for greater efficiency. The Chief Secretary instructed that Aadhaar service camps be organized in all government and private schools to provide easier access for students.
He also emphasized the need to promote the m-Aadhaar application and My-Aadhaar Portal to ensure citizens can easily avail themselves of Aadhaar services. Furthermore, the Chief Secretary called for a comprehensive awareness campaign by the School Education Department to encourage parents and guardians to ensure the Mandatory Biometric Update for their children.
He also directed all departments to ensure Aadhaar-based authentication of beneficiaries at e-Sampark Centers and other government offices, and to implement Aadhaar-based face authentication across all government departments.