Hold Aadhaar verification of jail inmates: Centre to states

Two years after the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) issued an advisory to all states, asking them to conduct Aadhaar authentication of prison inmates and their visitors, the directive appears to have been ignored, as there is no awareness at the ground level among prison departments across the country.

Consequently, the MHA has once again urged states to disseminate the information to all prison officials concerned to ensure they are aware of this provision.

The initiative was introduced as the growing inmate population made it difficult for authorities to maintain records of prisoners and their visitors. Additionally, Aadhaar authentication will help in delivering various benefits and facilities to inmates, such as correctional reform measures, healthcare services, skill development, vocational training, meetings with relatives, and legal aid, among others.

With the increasing prison population, authorities face mounting pressure to manage inmates and maintain accurate records. In this context, Aadhaar-based verification has become essential for identifying inmates and other stakeholders within the prison system. The MHA has officially notified the use of Aadhaar in prisons for the welfare of inmates and visitors. Accordingly, the National Informatics Centre (NIC) developed Aadhaar services integrated with the ePrisons system, making it operational in 1,309 out of 1,378 prisons across the country.

This integration allows for accurate verification of inmates and visitors, reduces identity fraud within prisons, and streamlines administrative processes related to prisoner management. The MHA had issued the advisory to all states and union territories on October 17, 2023, urging them to utilize Aadhaar authentication for inmates and visitors. Prison authorities were also instructed to link prisoners’ IDs with their Aadhaar numbers on the ePrisons portal. A Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for Aadhaar linking and authentication was shared with states at the time.

However, the MHA observed that many prisons remained unaware of the advisory. Earlier this month, the ministry wrote to all state chief secretaries and Directors General of Prisons, directing them to ensure prison officials are informed about the provision. The MHA has also requested states to urgently provide updates on the status of Aadhaar linking and authentication for inmates and visitors, with quarterly progress reports thereafter.

The MHA had previously issued Gazette Notifications on March 6, 2023, and September 29, 2023, authorizing state prison departments to conduct Aadhaar authentication for inmates and visitors. To facilitate the process, the MHA had also instructed states to organize weekly Aadhaar enrollment camps inside prisons for inmates who do not possess the identification, in collaboration with the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI).

India