In a major relief for employees across India, the Ministry of Labour and Employment has announced that individuals subscribing to Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) services can now generate their Universal Account Number (UAN) independently using the UMANG mobile app. This move eliminates the earlier dependency on employers or HR departments for initiating the UAN creation process.
Union Labour Minister Mansukh Mandaviya shared that the EPFO has launched a significant upgrade in its digital service infrastructure.
“The Employees' Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) has introduced enhanced digital services for UAN allotment and activation using face authentication, marking a significant step towards contactless, secure, and fully digital service delivery for crores of members,”
he said.
With the adoption of Aadhaar Face Authentication Technology (FAT), employees can now directly generate their UAN via the UMANG App without any third-party involvement.
“Now the employee can directly generate UAN using Aadhaar Face Authentication Technology (FAT) using the Umang Mobile App,”
the minister added.
Even employers can utilize the UMANG platform to generate UANs for newly hired employees using the same authentication technology.
Download and open the UMANG App on your mobile device.
Navigate to the EPFO section and tap on UAN Allotment and Activation through Face Authentication.
Follow the instructions for Aadhaar-based verification using facial recognition.
Once verified, the UAN will be generated and a confirmation SMS will be sent to the mobile number registered with your Aadhaar.
Once UAN is generated, users can:
Download the UAN card directly from the UMANG App, or
Access and download it through the EPFO Member Portal.
“The advantages of the new process are 100 per cent validation of Aadhaar and user using Face Authentication,”
Mandaviya said.
Face Authentication offers a highly secure biometric method compared to traditional methods like:
OTP-based verification
Manual demographic entry
“Biometric authentication using Face Authentication provides a higher level of security compared to traditional methods such as demographic or OTP-based authentication,”
the Ministry explained.
This update is beneficial even for existing users.
“The members who already have a UAN but have not yet activated, can now easily activate their UAN through the UMANG App,”
the minister added.
This seamless integration with Aadhaar ensures that users no longer need to rely on HR departments or Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) regional offices for basic services.
“This secure verification will also pave the way for a wide range of self-service options for members, eliminating the need for employer or Regional Office intervention in many future services.”
The UMANG (Unified Mobile Application for New-age Governance) app is a flagship initiative by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) and the National e-Governance Division (NeGD) of the Government of India. Launched in November 2017, it serves as a single, unified platform to access a wide range of Indian government services from the central, state, and local levels.
Mobile-First Governance: To make e-governance services accessible primarily through mobile devices, aligning with the increasing mobile adoption trends in India.
Unified Access: To bring together various government departments and their services onto a single platform, eliminating the need for citizens to download and manage multiple individual apps.
Seamless Integration: To integrate with other key Digital India initiatives like Aadhaar, DigiLocker, and PayGov, providing a cohesive digital service ecosystem.
Uniform Experience: To offer a consistent and user-friendly experience across all government services accessible through the app.
Convenience and Efficiency: To enable citizens to discover, access, and use government services anytime and anywhere, saving time and effort.
Wide Range of Services: The app offers access to over 2000+ services from various government departments and agencies, spanning across sectors like:
Healthcare
Finance (EPFO, NPS, Income Tax)
Education (Scholarships, CBSE results)
Housing (Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana)
Energy (LPG services)
Agriculture (Crop Insurance)
Transport (Indian Railways, Delhi Metro, Passport Seva)
Utility Bills Payment
Employment and Skills
Grievance Redressal
And many more.
Multi-lingual Support: The app supports 13 Indian languages (English, Hindi, Marathi, Tamil, Assamese, Gujarati, Bengali, Kannada, Odia, Punjabi, Malayalam, Telugu, and Urdu), making it accessible to a large segment of the population.
DigiLocker Integration: Users can access and manage their DigiLocker accounts within the UMANG app, storing and sharing important documents like Aadhaar, PAN card, driving license, and vehicle registration certificates.
Real-time Tracking: The app allows users to track the status of applications and transactions for various services.
Multiple Access Channels: Besides the mobile app (available for Android and iOS), UMANG can also be accessed through a web portal, SMS, and IVR, catering to users with different levels of technology adoption.
Personalized Experience: Users can mark frequently used services as favorites for quick access.
Customer Support: UMANG provides customer support through a dedicated helpline, email, live chat, and chatbots.
Secure Platform: The app uses secure authentication mechanisms, including Aadhaar-based authentication, to protect user data.
Single-Point Access: All major government services are available on a unified platform.
Convenience: Access services anytime, anywhere, without the need to visit government offices physically.
Time and Cost Savings: Reduces the time and money spent on traveling to government offices and standing in queues.
Improved Transparency: Enables users to track the status of their applications and transactions.
Enhanced Digital Inclusion: Makes government services accessible to a wider population through multi-lingual support and multiple access channels.
EPFO Integration: Recent updates have streamlined EPFO (Employees' Provident Fund Organisation) services, allowing users to generate and activate their Universal Account Number (UAN) instantly using Face Authentication Technology (FAT) of Aadhaar.
Map Services Integration: UMANG now integrates map services, allowing citizens to locate nearby government facilities like mandis and blood banks.
Focus on User Experience: Continuous efforts are made to improve the app's interface, performance, and user-friendliness.
The introduction of UAN generation and activation through Aadhaar Face Authentication on the UMANG App is a monumental step toward making EPFO services more accessible, secure, and user-friendly. It empowers employees with greater control, reduces dependency on HR personnel, and sets the stage for a fully digital future in employee social security management. With this move, EPFO continues to align with India’s vision of a Digital Bharat, enabling contactless and hassle-free service delivery for millions.