Saurabh Vijay Appointed to Lead UIDAI as Chief Executive Officer

Saurabh Vijay Assumes Charge as UIDAI CEO

Saurabh Vijay Appointed to Lead UIDAI as Chief Executive Officer: Senior IAS officer Saurabh Vijay has assumed charge as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI). A 1998-batch Maharashtra cadre officer, he took over the responsibility on 18 May 2026. His appointment brings decades of administrative experience at both the state and central government levels to one of India’s most important digital institutions.

As CEO, he will oversee the functioning of Aadhaar, the world’s largest biometric identity programme, which forms the backbone of India’s digital governance ecosystem.

Static GK fact: UIDAI was established in 2009, while it became a statutory authority under the Aadhaar Act, 2016.

Strong Academic and Administrative Background

Saurabh Vijay completed his Civil Engineering degree from Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi. Throughout his administrative career, he has served in several key sectors including finance, planning, tourism, medical education, higher and technical education, and public administration.

His diverse administrative exposure has equipped him with extensive experience in policy formulation, governance reforms, and public service delivery.

Static GK Tip: The Indian Administrative Service (IAS) is one of the three All India Services, created under Article 312 of the Constitution of India.

Key Positions Held in Maharashtra

Before assuming leadership at UIDAI, Saurabh Vijay held several important positions in the Government of Maharashtra. He served as Principal Secretary (Expenditure) in the Finance Department, where he was responsible for public financial management and expenditure planning.

He also served as Principal Secretary, Planning, Development Commissioner, Principal Secretary, Tourism, Secretary, Medical Education, and Secretary, Higher and Technical Education. These assignments strengthened his expertise in governance, budgeting, infrastructure planning, and institutional administration.

National and International Experience

Apart from his responsibilities in Maharashtra, Saurabh Vijay has also held significant assignments at the national and international levels. He served as Director in the President’s Secretariat, contributing to administrative coordination at the highest constitutional office.

He also worked as an Advisor at the World Bank in Washington, D.C., representing India, Bangladesh, Bhutan, and Sri Lanka through the Executive Director’s office. His international experience has enhanced his understanding of global development policies and public sector management.

Static GK fact: The World Bank is headquartered in Washington, D.C., United States, and was established in 1944.

Role and Functions of UIDAI

The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) is responsible for issuing and managing Aadhaar, India’s unique biometric identity system. It functions under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) and provides secure digital identity authentication services to residents across the country.

UIDAI’s vision is to empower every resident with a trusted digital identity that enables secure, anytime and anywhere authentication for government and private sector services.

Static GK Tip: Aadhaar is a 12-digit unique identification number issued to residents of India based on biometric and demographic information.

Significance of the Appointment

The appointment of Saurabh Vijay comes at a time when digital governance and secure identity systems are becoming increasingly important. His administrative expertise, combined with national and international policy experience, is expected to strengthen UIDAI’s role in expanding digital public infrastructure and improving citizen-centric services across India.

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Saurabh Vijay Appointed to Lead UIDAI as Chief Executive Officer: