The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) on Tuesday launched its online authentication of Aadhaar numbers facility, which is proposed to help banks, telecom companies and government departments authenticate an Indian resident, via mobile phones, computers, tablets or other devices, connected to the internet.

The authentication service will be free of charge till December 2013. "It will ease and fasten the process to get a scholarship, bank accounts, LPG connections etc," UIDAI chairman Nandan Nilekani said.

It is likely to become a paid service in 2014 for agencies such as telcos, insurance and oil marketing companies who may want to use the 12-digit Aadhaar number for authentication of customers.

"We will formulate a mechanism and fix a charge post December 2013. Till that time it is free," said RS Sharma, Director General at UIDAI.

Meanwhile other departments of the government, will be roped in through the National e-Governance Plan. "Aadhaar number can be used via secure authentication through mobile phones, for accessing various services such as scholarships, land records, birth and caste certificates," said Ajay Sawhney, chief executive officer of National e-Governance Division of Ministry of Communications and IT. (Economic Times)