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Q17 (IAS/2018) Science & Technology › ICT, AI, Cybersecurity & Emerging Tech › Digital identity and authentication Official Key

The identity platform 'Aadhaar' provides open "Application Programming Interfaces (APIs)". What does it imply ? 1. It can be integrated into any electronic device. 2. Online authentication using iris is possible. Which of the statements given above is/are correct ?

Result
Your answer: —  Âˇ  Correct: C
Explanation

The correct answer is option C (Both 1 and 2).

India Stack, which includes Aadhaar, is a set of open APIs (application programming interfaces) and specifications for verification of identity, payments, and sharing[1] of data[2]. Open APIs are favored because interoperability enables a wide range of services to be integrated into the system[3]. This means Statement 1 is correct—the open API architecture allows integration into various electronic devices and systems.

Aadhaar fundamentally provides two values—uniqueness and online authentication[4]. The Aadhaar Authentication API specification contains details including API data format, protocol, and security specifications[5]. Since Aadhaar uses biometric authentication including iris scans, and provides online authentication capabilities through its APIs, Statement 2 is also correct—online authentication using iris is indeed possible.

Therefore, both statements are correct, making option C the right answer.

Sources
  1. [1] https://thedocs.worldbank.org/en/doc/5fdfbc4891d5c9f0942f7e0f86a72e05-0050062025/original/Abhishek-Sankritik-Digital-public-infrastructure.pdf
  2. [2] https://thedocs.worldbank.org/en/doc/5fdfbc4891d5c9f0942f7e0f86a72e05-0050062025/original/Abhishek-Sankritik-Digital-public-infrastructure.pdf
  3. [3] https://thedocs.worldbank.org/en/doc/5fdfbc4891d5c9f0942f7e0f86a72e05-0050062025/original/Abhishek-Sankritik-Digital-public-infrastructure.pdf
  4. [4] https://dit.py.gov.in/sites/default/files/Aadhaar-enabled-service-delivery.pdf
  5. [5] https://uidai.gov.in/images/resource/Aadhaar_Authentication_API-2.5_Revision-1_of_January_2022.pdf
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Don’t just practise – reverse-engineer the question. This panel shows where this PYQ came from (books / web), how the examiner broke it into hidden statements, and which nearby micro-concepts you were supposed to learn from it. Treat it like an autopsy of the question: what might have triggered it, which exact lines in the book matter, and what linked ideas you should carry forward to future questions.
Q. The identity platform 'Aadhaar' provides open "Application Programming Interfaces (APIs)". What does it imply ? 1. It can be integrated …
At a glance
Origin: Mostly Current Affairs Fairness: Low / Borderline fairness Books / CA: 0/10 ¡ 5/10
You're seeing a guest preview. The Verdict and first statement analysis are open. Login with Google to unlock all tabs.

This question marked a shift from asking 'Which Ministry?' to 'How does the Tech work?'. It targets the functional architecture of Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI). Standard books cover the Act/Privacy judgment, but the 'API' and 'Iris' details come from understanding the 'India Stack' ecosystem found in tech-policy explainers.

How this question is built

This question can be broken into the following sub-statements. Tap a statement sentence to jump into its detailed analysis.

Statement 1
Can Aadhaar's open Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) be integrated into any electronic device?
Origin: Web / Current Affairs Fairness: CA heavy Web-answerable

Web source
Presence: 5/5
"foundation is India Stack—a set of open APIs (application programming interfaces) and specifications for verification of identity, payments, and sharing of data"
Why this source?
  • Directly names India Stack as a set of open APIs for identity, payments, and data sharing — linking Aadhaar-related functionality to open APIs.
  • Implies those open APIs are the foundation for verification and other functions that can be used by external systems.
Web source
Presence: 4/5
"favoring widely adopted open standards (or open APIs) for the core functions of DPI ... because interoperability enables a wide range of services to be integrated into the system."
Why this source?
  • States that favoring widely adopted open standards or open APIs maximizes interoperability across systems and enables many services to be integrated.
  • Supports the idea that open APIs are intended to allow integration into a wide range of systems (and by extension devices).
Web source
Presence: 4/5
"An API decouples a software application from its underlying functionality implementation."
Why this source?
  • Explains what an API does — it decouples software from underlying implementations, making integration into other software or systems easier.
  • This technical characteristic supports the feasibility of integrating open APIs with various external devices/systems.

Indian Economy, Nitin Singhania .(ed 2nd 2021-22) > Chapter 9: Agriculture > Recent Reforms to Improve Public Distribution System > p. 337
Strength: 5/5
“So far, 88 per cent of FPSs in India have been automated through installation of ePoS (electronic point of sale) devices, thereby ensuring end-to-end computerisation. • 3. Digitisation of Ration Cards and their Aadhaar seeding to enable distribution of food grains to beneficiaries after biometric authentication.”
Why relevant

Describes use of ePoS (electronic point of sale) devices to automate FPSs and perform distribution after biometric authentication (Aadhaar seeding).

How to extend

A student could infer Aadhaar-enabled biometric authentication is already running on specialized electronic devices and check whether those devices call Aadhaar APIs or SDKs and whether similar integration is technically possible on other devices.

Indian Economy, Vivek Singh (7th ed. 2023-24) > Chapter 2: Money and Banking- Part I > 10.Oversight of payment and settlement systems > p. 71
Strength: 4/5
“• Unified Payments Interface (UPI)• Aadhar Enabled Payment System (AEPS)• Rupay Cards• National Automatic Clearing House (ACH)• Linking of ATMs across India (some other operators are also involved)• National Electronic Toll collection (It provides an electronic payment facility to customer to make the payments at national, state and city toll plazas by identifying the vehicle uniquely through a FASTag) NPCI is a 'Not for Profit' company where 51% stake is owned by public sector banks.”
Why relevant

Lists Aadhar Enabled Payment System (AEPS) alongside other digital payment systems, implying Aadhaar-based services are exposed for transaction use.

How to extend

One could reason that AEPS requires programmatic interfaces for devices/terminals and therefore look up AEPS API/terminal requirements to judge portability to other devices.

Indian Economy, Nitin Singhania .(ed 2nd 2021-22) > Chapter 8: Financial Market > Xinow Your Customer Norms > p. 227
Strength: 4/5
“KYC means 'Know Your Customer'. It is a process through which banks obtain information about the identity and address of the customers. This process helps to ensure that banks' services are not misused. The KYC procedure is to be completed by the banks at the time of opening accounts. Banks are also required to periodically update their customers' KYC details. e-KYC or Electronic KYC is possible only for those who have Aadhaar numbers. One can still open a bank account known as 'Small Account' by submitting his/her recent photograph and putting the signature or thumb impression in the presence of the bank official.”
Why relevant

Explains e-KYC (electronic KYC) is possible only for those with Aadhaar numbers, indicating Aadhaar supports electronic identity verification workflows.

How to extend

A student could infer e-KYC is implemented through electronic interfaces and then examine whether those interfaces (APIs/SDKs) are platform-agnostic and can be called from varied devices.

Indian Economy, Vivek Singh (7th ed. 2023-24) > Chapter 9: Subsidies > One Nation one Ration Card (ONORC): > p. 297
Strength: 4/5
“While the person can buy food grains as per his or her entitlement under the NFSA at the place where he or she is based, members of his or her family can still go to their ration dealer back home.• Earlier, NFSA beneficiaries were not able to access their PDS benefits outside the jurisdiction of the specific fair price shop to which they have been assigned. The Govt. envisioned the ONORC to give them access to benefits from any fair price shop.• ONORC is based on technology that involves details of beneficiaries' ration card, Aadhaar number, and electronic Points of Sale (ePoS).”
Why relevant

States ONORC is based on technology involving Aadhaar numbers and electronic Points of Sale (ePoS), showing Aadhaar data is integrated into distributed electronic systems.

How to extend

From this pattern a student could consider the technical requirements of ePoS integration (connectivity, biometric readers, certification) to assess if other electronic devices could implement similar Aadhaar-enabled flows.

Indian Economy, Vivek Singh (7th ed. 2023-24) > Chapter 10: Agriculture - Part I > 10.9.2 Electronic - National Agriculture Market (e-NAM) > p. 315
Strength: 3/5
“collection centre or WDRA registered warehouses (actually these have been integrated with e-NAM platform). Govt is working on the modalities so that farmers will be able to sell their produce online sitting at their home through their mobile with their physical produce at home, but it may take a year or more.”
Why relevant

Notes government work to enable farmers to sell online via mobile, implying Aadhaar-linked services are intended for mobile/device access.

How to extend

A student might extend this to ask whether Aadhaar interfaces support mobile clients and thus whether they are adaptable to other classes of electronic devices with network capability.

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