EPFO: You can now activate UAN via Aadhaar-based facial recognition
What's the story
The Employees' Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) has introduced a new feature. Employees can now generate and activate their Universal Account Number (UAN) using Aadhaar-based Face Authentication Technology (FAT). The move is expected to reduce errors and improve the user experience. Previously, the onus of UAN generation mostly fell on employers, which sometimes led to incorrect personal details being recorded, such as father's name or mobile number.
Solution
EPFO's new feature addresses previous challenges
The new feature solves problems like employers not sharing UAN details with employees, leading to delays in activation and limiting access to EPFO services. In FY 2024-25, EPFO allotted over 1.26 crore UANs, but only 35% were activated, as a separate step using Aadhaar OTP was required for activation. Now, the employees can directly generate and activate their UAN using face authentication via the UMANG app.
Process
Steps to generate UAN using face authentication
Both employees and employers can access the new UAN generation process via the UMANG app and AadhaarFaceRD app. To use it, they have to download and install both apps from the Play Store/ App Store. Then, they have to open the UMANG app and select "UAN Allotment and Activation" under UAN services. After entering the Aadhaar number and mobile number linked to it, they have to give consent and validate OTP before capturing a live photo using the device camera.
Advantages
Benefits of the new authentication system
The new system comes with a number of advantages such as 100% identity validation through Aadhaar-based face match and auto-verification of mobile number with Aadhaar. It does away with the need for employer intervention in UAN generation, as UAN gets activated in the same process. Employees can instantly access EPFO services like passbook, KYC update, and claim submission after activation. This innovation greatly reduces errors and delays in onboarding processes.