The Government of India has mandated the use of Aadhaar as an identity document for availing services under the Digital Crop Survey Project. This notification is effective from 14th July, 2023.
The initiative aims to simplify the process of delivering government benefits and services directly to beneficiaries, eliminating the need for multiple identity documents.
The Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare has taken the lead in implementing the Digital Crop Survey Project. As part of this initiative, various state governments and Union Territories are supporting the creation of sub-systems to facilitate the crop survey and streamline the distribution of government benefits and services. The project is being implemented through the Implementing Agencies at the state and Union Territory levels.
Under the Digital Crop Survey Project, farmers will receive essential services such as the ‘Crop Sown Certificate,’ which will be issued in the form of digitally verifiable credentials or physical printouts. These certificates will enable farmers, referred to as beneficiaries, to access their entitlements conveniently and seamlessly.
To ensure the success of the project and facilitate efficient service delivery, the government has issued certain guidelines:
- Aadhaar Requirement:
- Individuals desiring to avail services under the project must furnish proof of possessing an Aadhaar number or undergo Aadhaar authentication.
- Aadhaar Enrollment:
- If an individual does not possess an Aadhaar number or has not yet enrolled for Aadhaar, they must apply for Aadhaar enrollment, subject to the consent of their parents or guardians (in the case of child beneficiaries). Children or individuals seeking enrollment can visit any Aadhaar enrollment center to get registered.
- Provision of Alternate Documents:
- Until the Aadhaar number is assigned, beneficiaries can avail benefits under the project by providing alternate documents to establish their identity. The specific documents required for children below 18 and beneficiaries aged 18 and above have been listed by the Department.
- Remedial Mechanisms for Authentication Failures:
- In cases where Aadhaar authentication fails due to poor biometrics or other reasons, the Department will adopt various remedial mechanisms to ensure smooth service delivery. This includes using iris scan or face authentication facilities, offering Aadhaar One Time Password (OTP) or Time-based One-Time Password (TOTP) authentication, or relying on the physical Aadhaar letter’s Quick Response (QR) code.
- No Denial of Benefits:
- No child or individual will be denied benefits under the project if they fail to establish their identity through Aadhaar authentication or by providing an Aadhaar number. In such cases, the Department will verify their identity based on other specified documents.
The concerned Department in State Governments and Union Territory Administrations will follow an exception handling mechanism to ensure that no genuine beneficiary is deprived of services under the project.
