Aadhaar helped save Rs 90,000 cr, says UIDAI chairman
Hyderabad, July 11: India has so far saved over Rs.90,000 crore with the use of Aadhaar, UIDAI Chairman J. Satyanarayana said on Wednesday.
On an average, around three crore people are using Aadhaar every day and it is primarily used for ration, pension, rural employment, and scholarships, he said at in his address at an international conference on digital identity, with a special focus on Aadhaar.
The three-day conference being organised by the Indian School of Business (ISB) began on Wednesday.
Satyanarayana, in his keynote address, said that more than Rs 90,000 crore are estimated as reported savings or gains by the Departments of Petroleum & Natural Gas, Food & Public Distribution, Rural Development and others.
Emphasising that the governance system has constantly been changing with the growth of technology and that the country was moving towards a scenario of "invisible governance", he underlined the need for research in some areas.
"We will need further research in creating more efficient biometric identification systems; security of Aadhaar eco-system; improvement in processes of enrolment, updating, and authentication; operation in areas with challenged networks and use of artificial intelligence and machine learning for fraud detection and prevention."
The objective of the conference is to showcase the research work done by the Digital Identity Research Initiative (DIRI)at the ISB. DIRI's research especially focuses on Aadhaar and explores the pros and cons of the ecosystem.
Ashwini Chhatre, Executive Director, DIRI, set the context for the international conference, in which around 150 researchers on digital identity from India and abroad are participating.
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13 lakh litres of 'Rail Neer' supplied to train passengers daily: Government
New Delhi (PTI): Approximately 13 lakh litres of packaged drinking water -- 'Rail Neer' -- are being supplied to train passengers across the railway network daily, the government informed the Lok Sabha in a written reply on Wednesday.
Apprising the Lower House about the Indian Railways' endeavour to provide safe and potable drinking water facilities at all stations, the government also provided zone-wise details of the water vending machines (WVMs) installed there.
"To ensure the quality of drinking water being made available at the railway stations, instructions exist for periodical checking and required corrective action to be taken.
"Regular inspection and maintenance of drinking water facilities is carried out and complaints are attended to promptly," Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said while responding to a question raised by BJP MP Anup Sanjay Dhotre seeking to know the supply of drinking water at railway stations across the country
"Complaints regarding deficiency in services, including water supply, are received through various channels such as public complaints, web portals, social media, etc. These complaints are received at various levels, including the Railway Board, zonal railways, division office, etc.," Vaishnaw said.
"The complaints so received are forwarded to the concerned wings of Railways and necessary action is taken to check and address them. As receipt of such complaints and action taken thereon is a continuous and dynamic process, a centralised compendium of these is not maintained," he added.
Providing zone-wise details of water vending machines, the minister said 954 such machines have been installed across railway stations.
"The Indian Railways also provides safe and affordable packaged drinking water bottles -- Rail Neer -- approved by the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) in trains and at stations," Vaishnaw said.
"Approximately, 13 lakh litres of Rail Neer are being supplied per day to the travelling passengers in trains and at stations across the Indian Railways network," he added.
