Notification/Circular No. – No: WSU/Member Profile/E-710137/2025-26/17
Document Date – April 8, 2025
Applicable Act/Rule – Employees’ Provident Fund Scheme, 1952
Old Provisions: Traditionally, the process for allotting and activating a UAN (Universal Account Number) required a series of manned, offline procedures. Applicants typically depended on employer-mediated submissions or visited EPFO centers to complete manual KYC verifications. This manual approach was not only time-consuming but also prone to delays due to paperwork, physical verification, and manual data entry errors.
New Amendments: To streamline the entire process and enhance accuracy and security, EPFO has introduced a digitally empowered method through the UMANG App. By leveraging Aadhaar-based OTP verification along with Face Authentication Technology (FAT), the new system enables members to directly access critical services such as new UAN allotment, activation of existing UANs, and updating of records—all using their smartphones. This digital transformation allows for immediate validation of member identity and rapid issuance of UAN via SMS.
Detailed Comparison of Provisions
Feature | Old Provisions | New Amendments (UMANG with FAT) |
Application Method | Relied on manual offline procedures; typically involved employer facilitation or physical visit to EPFO centers. | Entire process is digitized via the UMANG App. Members can initiate and complete UAN allotment/activation independently on their smartphones. |
Verification Process | Utilized traditional paper-based KYC checks and manual document verification, which were susceptible to human errors and delays. | Incorporates Aadhaar-based OTP verification combined with FAT. This automated biometric verification provides a robust, foolproof validation of identity by directly fetching data from Aadhaar. |
Turnaround Time | Involved multiple steps and physical processing that often led to longer waiting periods before the UAN could be activated. | Enables near-instant validation and activation. Once the face authentication is completed successfully, UAN creation/activation along with additional details is sent immediately via SMS. |
User Responsibility | Members had to rely on their employers or visit service centers, which sometimes led to delays if employers or intermediaries were not prompt. | Empowers members to handle the entire process self-sufficiently, reducing dependency on third parties and ensuring that errors can be corrected in real time on the app. |
Data Accuracy & Security | Manual interventions increased the risk of errors and fraud. Verification often depended on physical copies and manual checks, risking mismatches between records. | Automatic, real-time verification via FAT improves data accuracy. Direct retrieval from the Aadhaar database minimizes discrepancies and enhances security in the onboarding process. |
Amendments and Their Implementation
A. Direct UAN Allotment and Activation
B. UAN Activation for Existing UANs
C. Face Authentication for Already Activated UANs
Advantages of the Amendments
Implications and Future Prospects
These amendments mark a significant shift towards modernizing EPFO services. They reflect a broader commitment by the government to digitize and streamline all public services, making them more accessible and secure for millions of citizens. In the future, similar digital enhancements and integrations are expected in various other government services, further reinforcing the trustworthiness and efficiency of India’s digital infrastructure.
Moreover, these changes are anticipated to improve overall user satisfaction as members experience fewer hassles and quicker response times—the benefits of which extend to more efficient claim processing and better real-time service management.
Conclusion
Overall, the amendments introduced for UAN allotment and activation via UMANG App with FAT represent a transformative improvement over the older, manual-based provisions. They shift the responsibility to the citizen, simplify the entire interface through a user-friendly mobile platform, and fortify the process through robust biometric authentication. This convergence of technology and service delivery not only reduces errors and waiting periods but also aligns well with evolving global standards of digital governance.
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