Biometrics, voter IDs for beneficiary payments, not Aadhaar: Minister Rajiv Ranjan Singh

The proposed change would replace Aadhaar-based beneficiary payment identification with two checks: a person’s biometrics and voter ID number, known as an EPIC number. Singh presented this as a response to concerns that Aadhaar cards can be obtained quickly and widely.

Singh said payments would be made using the beneficiary’s biometric information and EPIC number. He did not explain how the new system would work technically, nor identify the schemes where EPIC numbers would be used. The article therefore describes an announcement, not an operational rollout.

The change could affect programmes that currently use Aadhaar-linked payment records. The article notes that Aadhaar is mandatory under the National Livestock Mission Entrepreneurship Development Programme and is used in several other Central schemes. Any shift would require government departments to update beneficiary records, verification procedures, and payment systems.

Biometric identification uses measurable bodily features, such as fingerprints or other recorded characteristics, to check whether a person matches an identity record. An EPIC number is the identification number printed on a voter’s Electors Photo Identity Card. It connects a person to their voter registration.

An Aadhaar number is a separate identity number issued through India’s Aadhaar system. It is not the same as an EPIC number, and neither number is itself a biometric feature. Singh proposed using biometric verification together with the EPIC number when processing beneficiary payments.

The article does not explain the technical design or legal rules for this proposed arrangement. In practical terms, biometrics would provide a bodily match, while the EPIC number would provide a voter-linked record. Aadhaar currently supports payment identification in several schemes mentioned in the article.

Aadhaar is already used across several government payment systems, but the article does not provide a national percentage or beneficiary count. It says Aadhaar-seeded bank accounts are used for payments in several Central schemes, showing that the current system has broad reach beyond one ministry.

The article names five scheme entries or programme categories. These are the National Livestock Mission Entrepreneurship Development Programme, VB-G RAM G, PM-Kisan, Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana (Gramin), and the National Social Assistance Programme. The last includes old-age, widow, and disability pensions.

The Ministry of Panchayati Raj has no scheme where money is directly transferred to an individual beneficiary’s bank account, according to the article. However, the Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying has schemes requiring Aadhaar for payments. The proposed change could therefore span multiple departments.

The most directly affected ministry could be the Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, which Singh also heads. Its National Livestock Mission Entrepreneurship Development Programme requires eligible applicants to provide Aadhaar proof or complete Aadhaar authentication before receiving benefits.

The article also mentions the Ministry of Panchayati Raj, where Singh made the announcement. However, it specifically says that ministry has no scheme transferring money directly to an individual beneficiary’s bank account. The ministry’s payment systems may therefore not be the immediate focus of the change.

Other potentially affected programmes include VB-G RAM G, PM-Kisan, Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana (Gramin), and the National Social Assistance Programme. These schemes use Aadhaar-seeded bank accounts for payments. Singh did not identify which of these programmes would move to biometrics and EPIC numbers.

If biometrics and EPIC numbers replace Aadhaar as the payment basis, officials would need to verify both a person’s bodily match and voter identity record. Payment systems would also need to connect those checks with eligibility information and the beneficiary’s bank account.

For example, a livestock-support applicant might no longer rely on Aadhaar authentication alone. The system could instead compare the applicant’s biometric information with the EPIC number recorded for that person, then approve payment if the person is eligible. This describes the likely mechanism, not a process specified by Singh.

The transition could require new databases, enrollment procedures, staff training, and rules for correcting mismatched records. It might also affect people whose voter records, biometrics, or bank details are incomplete. The article gives no timetable, technical plan, or evidence about whether the change would improve payment speed or accuracy.

Policymakers may combine an identity number with biometrics because the two tools answer different questions. The number points to a person’s administrative record, while the biometric check can help determine whether the claimant matches that record. Together, they may reduce mistaken identity or duplicate records.

In a payment process, an official could use the EPIC number to locate a voter-linked identity record and biometrics to verify the person presenting the claim. The system could then check eligibility and send money to the linked account. This is a general model, not a procedure described in the article.

The article does not explain why Singh proposed both identifiers, or whether the approach would be safer or more efficient. Any real system would also need accurate records, accessible verification, and ways to resolve failed biometric matches or incorrect voter information before payments are released.

A direct-benefit-transfer system usually starts by recording a person’s identity and checking whether that person meets a scheme’s eligibility rules. The approved beneficiary record is then connected to a bank account so the government can issue a payment. Identity checks help match the applicant to the correct record.

A typical sequence is: verify identity, confirm eligibility, locate the linked bank account, approve the benefit, and send the payment through the government’s payment channel. The article says several Central schemes use Aadhaar-seeded bank accounts for payments. It also says Aadhaar is mandatory or requires authentication for the National Livestock Mission programme.

The proposed shift would change the first part of that chain. Biometrics and an EPIC number could become the identity basis, while eligibility records and bank-account links would still need to be maintained. The article does not describe the detailed architecture or implementation timeline.