Aadhaar Card the 12-digit unique identification number issued by the Government of India to every citizen is one of the most important identity-proof documents. The Aadhaar Card contains the demographic and biometric data of the cardholder and is essential for availing government benefits and other official work. Meanwhile there is a big update related to the Aadhaar card which every citizen needs to know.  It has been announced that a new government regulation will come into effect soon. Hotels and event planners will no longer need to take photocopies of guests’ Aadhaar cards. They will now be obligated to use digital verification methods for all Aadhaar verifications. Not only does this change comply with the Aadhaar Act it significantly reduces the chance of data leakage while also making it easier for consumers as holding onto someone elses photocopy of an Aadhaar card is considered a violation of the Aadhaar Act. According to UIDAI CEO Bhuvanesh Kumar stated that all organizations that conduct Aadhaar verification including hotels and event companies are required to register in this new system as reported by NavBharatTimes. Organisations that conduct Aadhaar verification will be required to implement the digital verification technology which enables consumers to verify their identity either by scanning a QR code or through the new Aadhaar mobile application. The new rule will be implemented soon with the intention of eliminating the need for paper photocopies for Aadhaar. The new rule has been approved by the authority and will be notified soon. It will mandate registration of offline verification-seeking entities like hotels event organisers. The objective is to discourage paper-based Aadhaar verification UIDAI CEO Bhuvnesh Kumar was quoted as saying by news agency PTI. According to Kumar the new system will enable users to verify using either QR code scanning or a forthcoming Aadhaar mobile app that is currently being developed. The new verification process will also help alleviate the issues faced with disruption within the intermediate servers used to send requests to the Aadhaar centralised database. For those who require offline verification an API (application programming interface) will be made available for them to integrate with their own software.  In addition UIDAI is beta-testing an application that can perform app-to-app verification without connecting to the central server each time. The new app can also be used at places like airports shops that need to sell age-appropriate products etc. According to Kumar the updated verification framework will improve privacy protection and eliminate risks associated with paper-based Aadhaar handling. The ease of verification will enhance offline verification without the use of paper while maintaining privacy of users or any risk of their Aadhaar data getting leaked for misuse UIDAI CEO Bhuvanesh Kumar was quoted as saying by news agency PTI. Users will also have the ability to provide their updated address proof documents and add family members who do not own mobile devices using the same application. In addition the app  is expected to finetune Aadhaar authentication service in line with the Digital Personal Data Protection Act which will be completely operational in 18 months.