UIDAI Restores Airtel’s Authorisation For Aadhaar-Based e-KYC
Airtel will have to submit quarterly reports on compliance with the Aadhaar Act.
The Unique Identification Authority of India has restored Bharti Airtel Ltd.'s authorisation to conduct Aadhaar-based verification of its mobile subscribers subject to riders, sources said.
The UIDAI has not lifted the ongoing suspension on Airtel Payments Bank's e-KYC licence, sources privy to the development told PTI. The company will have to submit quarterly reports on compliance with Aadhaar Act and adhere to directions issued by the UIDAI.
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The decision was taken after the Aadhaar-issuing body noted that the company had complied with "critical issues" and had offered regular status updates to the authority.
Both Airtel and Airtel Payments bank came under fire late last year after the Sunil Mittal-led firm allegedly opened payments bank accounts of its mobile subscribers without seeking their "informed consent", and LPG subsidy worth crores was deposited into these accounts.
In December, the government and the UIDAI temporarily barred the company from conducting Aadhaar-based SIM verification of mobile customers and e-KYC of payments bank clients. It later allowed Airtel to use Aadhaar for re-verification of its mobile customers for a fixed period, with conditions attached. With this latest move, the UIDAI has conditionally restored the e-KYC licence of Bharti Airtel.