IAS officer Bhuvnesh Kumar, a 1995 batch officer from the Uttar Pradesh cadre, assumed charge as the CEO of the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) on January 1, 2025. UIDAI, which administers Aadhaar, plays a pivotal role in India’s digital identity infrastructure. Kumar, who also serves as an additional secretary at the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MEITY), succeeds Amit Agrawal, a 1993 batch IAS officer. Under Kumar’s leadership, UIDAI aims to maintain its significant contributions to India’s governance and service delivery.
Key Highlights
Leadership Transition
- Bhuvnesh Kumar: Assumed the role of UIDAI CEO on January 1, 2025.
- Dual Roles: Continues as additional secretary at MEITY.
- Predecessor: Amit Agrawal (appointed Secretary, Department of Pharmaceuticals).
Professional Background of Bhuvnesh Kumar
- 1. Central Government Roles
- Additional Secretary, MEITY.
- Joint Secretary, MEITY.
- 2. State-Level Roles in Uttar Pradesh
- Principal Secretary, Departments of Animal Husbandry, Dairy Development, and Fisheries.
- Secretary, Departments of Finance and Technical Education.
- Divisional Commissioner, Department of Land Revenue.
- Secretary, Planning, Vocational Education, and Sports & Youth Welfare.
Aadhar Milestones
- Cumulative Enrolments: Over 1.41 billion individuals.
- Updates and Corrections: Processed 1.07 billion cases.
- Routine Authentications: Surpassed 1.27 billion transactions.
- e-KYC Usage: Completed over 21.8 billion verifications.
Recent Aadhar Trends
- Saturation: New enrolments fell below one million for the first time in October 2024.
- December Data: Only 9.3 lakh new Aadhaar numbers generated.
Summary/Static | Details |
Why in the news? | Bhuvnesh Kumar Appointed UIDAI CEO |
New CEO | Bhuvnesh Kumar (1995 batch, Uttar Pradesh cadre) |
Previous Role | Additional Secretary, MEITY (continues in this role post-appointment) |
Predecessor | Amit Agrawal (1993 batch, Chhattisgarh cadre) |
Professional Experience | Secretary, Sports & Youth Welfare, Planning, Finance, Technical Education; Principal Secretary |
Aadhaar Enrolments | Over 1.41 billion cumulatively |
e-KYC Authentications | 21.8 billion+ |
Routine Authentications | Exceeded 1. 27 billion |
Enrolment | Trend Declining; under 1 million in October 2024, with 9.3 lakh in December 2024 |