New Delhi: The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) on 12 August 2025 signed a landmark five-year umbrella agreement with the Indian Statistical Institute (ISI) to jointly pursue advanced research and development (R&D) aimed at strengthening the robustness, security, and reliability of Aadhaar operations through data-driven innovations. This collaboration targets cutting-edge improvements in areas critical to Aadhaar’s integrity, including fraud and anomaly detection, biometric liveness detection, and biometric matching algorithms.
The agreement was signed by Ms. Tanusree Deb Barma, Deputy Director General (Technology Centre) of UIDAI, and Prof. B. S. Daya Sagar, head of ISI Bengaluru Centre, in the presence of UIDAI CEO Shri Bhuvnesh Kumar and Ms. Puja Singh Mandol, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Programme Implementation (MoSPI).
Focus Areas for Strengthening Aadhaar Security
This partnership will concentrate on several priority areas, including:
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Fraud and anomaly detection to identify and prevent suspicious activities within Aadhaar enrolment and authentication
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Development of biometric liveness detection tools aimed at real-time verification to thwart spoofing and impersonation
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Identification and monitoring of high-risk enrolment/update categories for enhanced oversight
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Improvements in biometric matching algorithms to increase accuracy and reduce false positives and negatives
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Other priority areas as mutually determined by UIDAI and ISI based on emerging threats and technological advancements
Combining Statistical Expertise with Technological Innovation
Shri Bhuvnesh Kumar, CEO of UIDAI, described the agreement as a step toward building advanced, secure, and citizen-centric innovations within the Aadhaar ecosystem. Ms. Puja Singh Mandol highlighted that this partnership brings together deep expertise in statistics, technology, and data-driven innovation to meet the evolving needs of the world’s largest digital identity program.
The Indian Statistical Institute, under MoSPI, is renowned globally for excellence in statistics, mathematics, computer science, and data science, and brings a proven track record of high-impact research that supports national priorities in governance and technology.
Strengthening Aadhaar for Future Challenges
With over 1.3 billion Indian residents enrolled, Aadhaar plays a crucial role in digital governance and access to services. This collaboration aims to future-proof Aadhaar against security threats, enhance fraud detection, and ensure serving citizens with secure, seamless, and trustworthy digital identity verification for a wide range of services.
This initiative aligns with the government’s broader strategy of leveraging academic and technological excellence for public service innovation, maintaining Aadhaar’s position as a globally benchmarked, resilient, and inclusive identity system.
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Source: PIB
