E-transactions surge between November and February: Chaudhary

Digital transactions using new mobile app BHIM, Aadhaar Enabled Payment System and Unified Payment Interface have witnessed a sharp rise after demonetisation move in November last year, Parliament was informed today.
"The average number of transactions using AEPS have increased to around 1.20 lakh in February 2017, from around 18,000 in November 2016. The average number of transactions using Unified Payment Interface (UPI) have increased to around 1.60 lakh in February 2017, from 11,000 in November 2016," Minister of State for Electronics and IT, P P Chaudhary said.
In a written reply in Rajya Sabha, Chaudhary further said that the average transactions made with the new digital payment app Bharat Interface for Money (BHIM) have increase to 70,000 in February 2017, from 20,000 in December 2016.

The transactions related to online services through Common Services Centres (CSCs) have shown a 30 per cent increase in 2016 over 2015, according to the information shared by the minister.
The number of such transactions were pegged at 1,175.30 lakh in 2016 as against 902.10 lakh in 2015. The online services through CSCs saw 101 lakh transactions in the first two months of the current calendar.
As on March 15, 2017 more than two crore beneficiaries and around 10.56 lakh merchants have been trained under the programme 'Digital Finance for Rural India: Creating Awareness and Access through the CSCs' under the Digital Saksharta Abhiyan (DISHA).

To another query, the minister said that 112.26 crore Aadhaar (the 12-digit unique identification number) have been generated in the country as on February 28, 2017.
To a query on whether the ministry is aware of attempts of unauthorised authentication and impersonation by illegally storing Aadhaar biometric data, the minister said, "An incidence has come to the notice where one Aadhaar Number holder authenticated using his stored biometric. Formal FIR has been lodged and the police investigation is on".