UDIN Verification

What is UDIN? (Unique Document Identification Number)

In order to provide a mark of authenticity to papers that were personally attested and authorised by professionals practising Chartered Accountancy in India, the UDIN (Unique Document Identification Number) idea was introduced by ICAI.

Every time a CA verifies a document or certificate, the usage of the 18-digit UDIN is required.

All professionals practising accounting in India who possess a full-time Certificate of Practise (CoP) need to apply for UDIN in order to self-certify documents and certifications beginning on February 1, 2019. Which will result in harsh punishment sanctions from the institution for non-compliance.

What is UDIN Verification?

A unique Document Identification Number (UDIN) is a platform-based, 25-alphanumeric number that the system generates specifically for the documents that users or applicants attest to.

UDIN Verification API

The Challenge of Manual UDIN Verification

Traditionally, UDIN verification has been a laborious and error-prone task. Professionals would need to manually cross-reference each UDIN with the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) or the Institute of Company Secretaries of India (ICSI) databases, which can be time-consuming and inefficient. Moreover, human errors may occur during the manual verification process, leading to potential misinterpretation of the results.

Introducing the UDIN Verification API

The UDIN Verification API is a powerful tool that automates the UDIN verification process, eliminating the need for manual intervention. This API allows professionals to integrate UDIN verification seamlessly into their own software applications, streamlining their workflows and improving efficiency. By leveraging the UDIN Verification API, professionals can access real-time validation of UDINs, ensuring the authenticity of their documents with a simple API call.

Key Benefits of the UDIN Verification API

Time-saving: With the UDIN Verification API, professionals can verify multiple UDINs in seconds, significantly reducing the time required for manual verification. This time-saving aspect enhances productivity and allows professionals to focus on other important tasks.
Accuracy: The API ensures accurate and reliable UDIN verification by directly accessing the official ICAI and ICSI databases. This eliminates the potential for human errors during manual cross-referencing and guarantees precise results.
Seamless Integration: The UDIN Verification API is designed for easy integration into existing software applications, making it accessible for professionals without requiring extensive technical knowledge. Integration is straightforward, with comprehensive documentation and support available.
Scalability: The API is scalable, allowing professionals to handle large volumes of UDIN verifications effortlessly. Whether it’s processing a few or thousands of UDINs, the API can handle the load efficiently, accommodating the growing needs of professionals and organizations.
Enhanced Security: The API ensures the security and confidentiality of the data exchanged during the verification process. With encrypted communication protocols, professionals can trust that their sensitive information remains protected.

How to Get Started with the UDIN Verification API

To start using the UDIN Verification API, professionals need to sign up for an API key from a provider, like IDcentral. The API key is used to authenticate requests and track usage. Once the API key is obtained, developers can integrate the API into their applications using the provided documentation and code examples. The API supports various programming languages, making it versatile and accessible.

How is UDIN Verification secure?

Only those parties or authorities who have been given permission to access the documents by the user during UDIN formation are permitted to do so.
If the user does not provide permission, even the government or government officials cannot access the data.
Blockchain technology would be used to maintain the user(s)’ documents, keeping them unchangeable.

Why is UDIN Verification used?

The Department of Information Technology & Electronics, Government of West Bengal, has introduced the idea of UDIN, or Unique Document Identification Number, to stop people from masquerading themselves as authentic in certification or documents.

It will protect certificates, reports, and other documents that have been attested or certified by members of the public, officials, and other parties. Additionally, this will make it possible for third parties to confirm the legitimacy of the certifications, reports, and papers.

It will eliminate the inconveniences that the general people could experience while uploading the same collection of documents across numerous platforms, resulting in the creation of a single-stage verified document gateway.
The same records won’t need to be kept at different layers of storage, saving government departments and agencies money on storage.
Because it is built on Blockchain technology, the papers that are uploaded stay immutable, meaning no user can say they are fake. This gives the parties involved a sense of confidence.
By simply sharing the UDIN of the uploaded documents and granting access to them, a user may distribute the files across several platforms.
UDIN is completely secure and may only be accessed by members, stakeholders, and regulators who have registered with the UDIN site.
A unique 18-digit number, including the first two for the current year, the next six for the ICAI membership number, and the last ten for the system’s randomly generated alpha-numeric ID, serves as the UDIN.
Reports, documents, and certificates that the CA has self-approved can be certified using UDIN, including audit reports, guidance reports, certificates for special reasons, and reports with restricted reviews.
Without the need to upload any documents, UDIN may be produced.
UDIN may be used at the moment the document is signed.

What is Blockchain and how does UDIN Verification and Access use Blockchain?

A sophisticated database system called blockchain technology enables transparent information exchange inside a company network. Data is kept in blocks that are connected together in a chain and stored in a blockchain database. Due to the inability to delete or amend the chain without network consensus, the data remains chronologically consistent. In order to manage orders, payments, accounts, and other transactions, you may utilise blockchain technology to establish an unchangeable or immutable ledger. A common picture of these transactions is made consistent by the system’s built-in features, which also stop unauthorised transaction submissions.

Information is essential to business. It is best if it is received quickly and is correct. Because it offers instant, shareable, and fully transparent data recorded on an irreversible ledger that can only be viewed by authorised network users, blockchain is the right technology for delivering such information. Among other things, a blockchain network can monitor orders, payments, accounts, and production. Additionally, because everyone has access to the same version of the truth, you can see every aspect of a transaction from beginning to end, increasing your confidence and opening up new prospects.

How can I upload a document to be verified by UDIN?

One may submit their papers to receive UDIN after creating their user profile and validating it using an Aadhaar card.

How do I utilise UDIN Verification if I’m a company?

The business must utilise its PAN to log in and its DSC to authenticate a user. The UDIN portal allows the authorised user to upload any required papers.

What distinguishes UDIN for document verification from DigiLocker?

UDIN uses blockchain technology to store Aadhaar-authenticated documents, making them unchangeable. While DigiLocker is a safe cloud-based platform for document and certificate storage, distribution, and verification.