Bhuvnesh Kumar Appointed UIDAI CEO

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