The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) has made a major and important change in the rules to Aadhaar card. Now a new digital ID option called Aadhaar Verifiable Credential (AVC) has been introduced, which aims to make your identity more secure than ever and prevent your personal information from being shared unnecessarily. These new rules are also for all those entities which verify your Aadhaar offline without directly connecting to the UIDAI servers. Let us understand in simple language how this change will affect you. What is this new AVC and what is the benefit to you from it? AVC is a kind of digitally signed document. You will be able to make this from your new Aadhaar app. Its most important thing is that it does not contain your complete information, rather it contains only that much information which is necessary for verification. Such as: Only the last 4 digits of the Aadhaar number, your name, address and date of birth, date and photo. The biggest advantage: Now the control will be completely in your hands. Whenever any organization asks you for verification, you will be able to decide for yourself what information about yourself you have to share with it. UIDAI’s new app will give you the option to choose whether you want to show your address, date of birth or any other information to the organization or not. This simply means that now no one will be able to see your complete Aadhaar details without your consent. Now face verification will happen even without internet. Another great feature has been added in this new change, which is named Offline Face Verification. Under this, the verification organization will take a live photo of your face and immediately match it with the photo present in your Aadhaar app. For this, there will be no need of internet connection, due to which verification will become easy and safe even in remote areas. The hassle of photocopy will end. UIDAI wants to reduce our dependence on the physical Aadhaar card and its photocopy through these changes. UIDAI officials also believe that there is always a danger of misuse of the physical copy. This new system will promote digital identity, which is more secure. UIDAI, for the first time, has tightened the rules for those institutions (like banks, telecom companies) which do offline Aadhaar verification. For the first time, every institution which wants to do offline verification will have to register with UIDAI. Approval will be given after investigation: UIDAI will completely investigate the application of the institution and only after being satisfied, it will give approval. Will give registration. Strict action will be taken if rules are broken: If any organization is negligent in verification, misuses your data, or does not follow the instructions of UIDAI, then strict action will be taken against it. UIDAI can now impose fine on such organizations, cancel their registration or even suspend their verification permission.