Information on what Virtual ID is & How to Generate one

Aadhaar Card is the most important document that is used as proof of identity as well as address proof of any individual. An Aadhaar is a 12-digit distinct identification number allocated to every Indian citizen who enrols for the same on the basis of their demographic and biometric data. Aadhar number is issued and administered by the UIDAI -Unique Identification Authority of India. The system of Aadhaar provides support to the government in managing efficient and transparent governance by eliminating corrupt practices and fraud to a great extent. This sole reason is that every single resident is given a unique identification number. Keeping in mind, the ever-increasing demand of Aadhaar and being an enabler for the introduction of many government programs today, Aadhaar has to turn out to be the utmost common and unique digital means of identification.

Why is an Aadhaar Card required?

Aadhaar is generally used to obtain and authenticate the details of an individual who wishes to avail of the government subsidy. If you do not have an Aadhar card, government-based subsidies with the associated services will not be given to you. A vital point to note here is that Aadhaar must not be treated as proof of your citizenship. During Aadhaar enrolment, you as an applicant will be informed about your right to have the access to the information, various methods in which the data or the information will be used together with the type of receivers with whom the necessary data will be shared. 

The rationale behind Aadhaar Virtual ID

With Aadhaar details mandatory at numerous places in the present day, people are nowcautious of sharing their Aadhaar numbers in the anxiety that their personal information may get leaked or maybe misused. The UIDAI introduced the concept of Aadhaar Virtual ID facility to provide as a solution to this concern, thereby improving the security around the users’ private data stated on their Aadhar card by concealing it, as an alternative. Through the usage of Virtual IDs, service providers will not be in a position to save the Aadhaar number of any applicant. The process of authentication is being carried out in the normal manner. As the Aadhaar number cannot be retrieved by agencies in any means, it stops the probable misuse of the person’s Aadhaar details. A single universal identification number, like an Aadhaar, is of great use and convenience; however, it brings along with it the challenges with respect to the security of the data. And hence, UIDAI decided to bring in the idea of simple, easy for usage Virtual IDs or VIDs instead of the original Aadhaar numbers.

What is meant by an Aadhaar virtual id?

Aadhaarvirtual id is a provisional, revocable 16-digits random number plotted with the Aadhaar number. You can use the VID in place of Aadhaar number on every occasion of authentication or validation through e-KYC services. Authentication can be performed using Aadhaarvirtual id in the same way of using your Aadhaar number. An important point to note here is, it is not possible to get your Aadhaar number from the VID.

We will take you through the various aspects of Aadhaarvirtual id for your better understanding.

Procedure on how to generate an Aadhaarvirtual id

You can create virtual id aadhaar for every occurrence you need. Obtaining an Aadhaarvirtual id is very easy, and you can produce or generate one on your, without any intervention, in just a few clicks.The virtual ID may be generated online by visiting the UIDAI’s official site as will be shown below. It is also planned that the feature of VID generation may be provided in the mAadhaar app in the near future which will be even more convenient and easy for you to generate an Aadhaar virtual id. It is worth stating here is that you must have your mobile number registered with UIDAI to avail of this particular service, as the virtual ID will be sent to your registered mobile number only and not in any other number. If you have not registered your mobile number with your Aadhaar record, then first you need to link your mobile number with Aadhaar, and only then you can use this facility. The process for retrieving a virtual ID is the same as that of the VID generation. To generate the Aadhaar virtual ID, you can follow these steps: Below are the steps as to how you can generate the same.

• Go to the UIDAI official website –https://uidai.gov.in/
• On UIDAI’s home page go to ‘Aadhaar Services’ and click on the option ‘Virtual ID (VID) Generator’ as shown below

• You need to enter your 12-digit Aadhaar number as below in the relevant space

• Enter the captcha code to verify the aadhaar number that you have entered as shown above
• Now, click on the option ‘Send OTP’ or ‘TOTP” and the OTP for generating the aadhaar virtual ID will be sent to your registered mobile number 
• After you have entered the respective OTP, you need to select the options “Generate VID” or “Retrieve VID” as shown below and press the button accordingly

• The Aadhaar virtual ID will be generated and you will see a message as shown below. This would be your 16-digit ID which you will receive in your registered mobile number mentioning virtual ID for Aadhaar number and the last 4 digits of your Aadhaar, generated at DD MM YYYY: HH: MM: SS format

Importance of having anAadhaarvirtual id

In this age of digitalization and technical advancement, there have been many instances where quite a few complaints have been registered about leakage of Aadhaar data. Individuals are worried and anxious about the security and safety of their Aadhaar and the related details. UIDAI has understood this worry and therefore has introduced the new concept of a virtual ID. When you as a user, provide your virtual IDs in place of your Aadhaar, agencies will not be able to retrieve your Aadhaar number of the and the authentication will be carried out as per the regular norms. Therefore, the Aadhaar details will be accessible to the agencies in any way, thereby keeping the Aadhaar number and other connected details secure and safe from hackers. 

Features of Aadhaarvirtual id

It is very important for you to know and understand the features of anAadhaarvirtual id. Let us see the same as below:

• The Aadhaar Virtual ID is a temporary 16-digit arbitrarily generated number, that can be used instead of the Aadhaar number for the purpose of authentication
• The Aadhaar virtual ID will be valid until you as a user generates a new Aadhaar Virtual ID
• Aadhar Virtual ID may be generated on UIDAI’s resident portal as explained above
• No maximum limit is given by UIDAI on the creation of Aadhaar Virtual IDs
• Aadhaar Virtual IDs offers restricted access to the KYC, thereby providing only need-based data for verification, otherwise not
• Generating VIDs are not mandatory for you. You can provide your Aadhaar number in place of the Aadhaar Virtual ID, which completely depends on you
• Aadhaar number can never be retrieved from the virtual ID
• Service providers or the agencies do not have the authorization to store the Aadhaar Virtual ID or any other details from Aadhaar that are taken for authentication. This practice definitely stops the crucial information from getting misused
• From 1st June 2018, all agencies or service providers doing Aadhaar authentication would need to accept Aadhaar Virtual ID from its users
• It lessens the burden of the agencies’ of gathering Aadhaar number of each and every individual and saving the same for the purpose of KYC

Pros and Cons of Aadhaar Virtual ID

• Pros:
  • Aadhaar Virtual ID will act as a 2nd layer of security, thereby making sure that establishments do not have admission to your Aadhaar number at a first instance. As an alternative, they are just shown your Virtual ID and will get a UID token, that approves that it is recorded in your Aadhaar number
  • Aadhaar number can never be derived from an Aadhaar Virtual ID
  • Aadhaar Virtual ID is provisional and is revocable
• Cons:
  • Too much of system dependency to generate an Aadhaar Virtual ID
  • There is a lack of awareness about the concept of Aadhaar Virtual ID resulting in non-acceptance of the same to a great extent

Important points under Aadhaar Virtual ID

• Only Aadhaar number holders can create Aadhaar VIDs
• Since Aadhaar is a universal identity number, having a VID gives one more security to your personal data
• You can generate the Aadhaar Virtual ID only via UIDAI official site and not any other site
• You, as a user ay generate new Aadhaar Virtual ID as and you need the same. However, point to note here is, that the Aadhaar Virtual ID is valid for the least time of a day. You can re-generate a new Aadhaar Virtual ID only after a day after you generate the first one and it stays effective till you generate a new one

With Aadhaar Virtual ID, you can rest assured. That your data will be safe and secure and you do not have to worry about anything. UIDAI has specifically given VID feature so as to ensure that your Aadhaar data remains in safe hands.