Industry body flags EPFO’s facial authentication rule

The Association of Industries and Institutions (New Delhi) has urged the government to reconsider a directive by the Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation mandating (EPFO) Aadhaar-based facial authentication for generating universal account numbers (UANS), claiming that the move is triggering significant operational disruptions for employers.

- Rhik Kundu

The industry body, having over 7,000 members, wrote to labour and employment minister Mansukh Mandaviya, urging the Centre to retain the UMANG app and the Unified Employer Portal as options for UAN generation. The association, which includes private and public sector enterprises, SMEs, and multinational corporations, flagged the EPFO’s 30 July circular as problematic for sectors marked by high attrition, limited smartphone access, and low digital literacy. The EPFO mandate, effective 1 August, requires UAN allotment and activation exclusively via UMANG app.