The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI), in collaboration with IIIT-Hyderabad has launched a large-scale competition to test age invariance in biometric algorithms.

The first phase of the Biometric SDK Benchmarking challenge focuses on fingerprint authentication, testing 1:1 matching algorithms for children aged 5-10 years, with updates after 5-10 years.  UIDAI ensures that participant submissions are evaluated securely, with anonymized datasets and no sharing of data with participants.

Global Participation Encouraged:

Researchers and developers globally are invited to enhance their biometric models using UIDAI's unique, field-collected dataset for improving accuracy in real-world conditions.

The challenge runs from March 25, 2025, to May 25, 2025, with registration details available on the UIDAI website and https://biochallenge.uidai.gov.in/

The challenge offers prizes worth ₹ 7.7 lakhs (USD 9,000) and the opportunity to collaborate with UIDAI in advancing biometric technologies.

Following the fingerprint challenge, UIDAI will also launch SDK benchmarking competitions for iris and face authentication.

Aadhaar is serving as a key pillar of good governance and digital inclusion in India and Aadhaar number holders are carrying out nearly 90 million authentication transactions daily for availing various services and benefits.

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Dharmendra Tewari/ Navin Sreejith