UIDAI suspends sim-linking procedure of Airtel Company

New Delhi, December 17: UIDAI has temporarily suspended Airtel and Airtel Payments Bank's eKYC Licence. It is the strongest action taken by the Aadhaar body taken on the grounds of allegations of using the Aadhaar-eKYC based SIM verification process to open payments bank accounts of its subscribers without their informed consent.

UIDAI also took strong objection to allegations that such payments bank accounts are being linked to receive LPG subsidy. According to the reports UIDAI, in an interim order, "suspended e-KYC licence key of Bharti Airtel Ltd and Airtel Payment Bank Ltd with immediate effect."

This indicates that Airtel won’t be able to carry out E-procedures like linking sim with 12 digit Aadhaar number. And Also, Airtel Payments Bank will not be able to open a new account with Aadhaar e-KYC. However, accounts can be opened through alternate methods, if available.

More than 23 lakh customers have reportedly received as many as ₹47 crore in their Airtel bank accounts, which they did not know had been opened.

Sources said it was brought to the notice of the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) that at the time of mobile verification using Aadhaar e-KYC, the Airtel retailers were also opening Airtel Payments Bank accounts, without informed consent of the user.