Prisoners lodged in the approximately 1,300 jails across the country, and their visitors, may have to undergo Aadhaar authentication, an initiative of the Ministry of Home Affairs to ensure the security of the inmates, and prevent identity fraud.
The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has written to the States and Union Territories, asking them to utilise the Aadhaar authentication of prison inmates and their visitors with a view to strengthening the safe and secure custody of prisoners, and also to ensure the delivery of the Aadhaar benefits to which they are entitled.
After issuing a notification to the Prison Department, authorising them to perform Aadhaar authentication of prison inmates and their visitors under the provisions of the Aadhaar Authentication for Good Governance (Social Welfare, Innovation, Knowledge) Rules 2020, the MHA said National Informatics Centre (NIC)/ePrisons had developed a standard operating procedure (SOP) for Aadhaar linking/authentication of prisoners/visitors.
