The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) introduced the Aadhaar mascot – a new “resident-facing communication companion” aimed at enhancing public understanding of Aadhaar services.
The mascot, called ‘Udai,’ is intended to make information related to Aadhaar more relatable and user-friendly, as stated by the Ministry of Electronics and IT.
Bhuvnesh Kumar, the CEO of UIDAI, mentioned that by inviting the public to participate in designing and naming the mascot through a nationwide competition, UIDAI emphasized a fundamental principle of Aadhaar: that participation fosters trust and acceptance. The strong response reflects the deep connection people feel towards Aadhaar as a public asset.
This mascot will facilitate the communication of Aadhaar services, encompassing updates, authentication, offline verification, selective information sharing, adoption of new technologies, responsible usage, and more, the ministry added.
To realize this vision, UIDAI opted for an open and inclusive approach by launching national design and naming competitions on the MyGov platform.
UIDAI received a total of 875 submissions from various parts of the country – including students, professionals, and designers – each presenting a distinct interpretation of Aadhaar’s meaning to them.
A multi-tiered evaluation process was implemented to ensure both fairness and thoroughness in the selection process. The outcome of this procedure is a remarkable creation shaped by public creativity and refined through institutional rigor, as noted by the ministry.
Arun Gokul from Thrissur, Kerala, won the first prize in the mascot design competition, while Idris Dawaiwala from Pune, Maharashtra, and Krishna Sharma from Ghazipur in Uttar Pradesh secured the second and third prizes, respectively.
Riya Jain from Bhopal emerged as the first prize winner in the mascot name competition, followed by Idris Dawaiwala from Pune and Maharaj Saran Chellapilla from Hyderabad in the second and third positions, respectively.
Neelkanth Mishra, the Chairman of UIDAI, unveiled the mascot and recognized the winners at a UIDAI event in Thiruvananthapuram.
The introduction of the mascot signifies another advancement in UIDAI’s continuous efforts to make Aadhaar communication simpler, more inclusive, and more relatable for over a billion citizens of India, according to UIDAI Chairman Mishra.