GS2 · Governance13 Jul 2026 · The Hindu — Science & Tech
UMANG portal flaws exposed user data across hundreds of services, researchers find
The data exposed include UAN with the EPFO, LPG cylinder booking details with at least one major oil marketing company, and Aadhaar numbers across several services where a user’s ID details are saved
Quick Revision
Prelims-testable facts
- 01The UMANG portal is a government portal that aggregates hundreds of public services offered by the Union and State Governments.
- 02Researchers found design flaws in the UMANG portal exposing Aadhaar numbers (in plaintext) and EPFO UANs across hundreds of services.
- 03The EPFO module, handling over 40 crore transactions in 3 months, was the most affected by the vulnerabilities.
- 04The vulnerabilities likely existed for years before being discovered.
- 05The Unified Mobile Application for New-age Governance (UMANG) portal is a digital governance initiative designed to simplify public services for millions of Indians.
- 06Multiple vulnerabilities were found in the UMANG portal, exposing potentially millions of users' sensitive data across various government services.
Trap alerts
- Most people think the UMANG portal is a secure platform, but actually it has been found to have significant design flaws and vulnerabilities.
- Most people think the exposed user data was limited to Aadhaar numbers, but actually it included EPFO UANs as well.
Mains Practice Question
Critically examine the implications of data exposure through UMANG portal flaws on citizen trust and government accountability.
250 words
Practice this in the exam hall →Prelims Practice MCQs
Single facteasy
The UMANG portal flaws exposed user data across hundreds of services, what type of data was exposed?
- A.UAN with the EPFO only
- B.LPG cylinder booking details with at least one major oil marketing company only
- C.Aadhaar numbers across several services where a user's ID details are saved
- D.Bank account information with the Income Tax department
The UMANG portal flaws exposed Aadhaar numbers across several services, highlighting concerns over data security and misuse.
Single factmedium
What type of booking details were exposed through the UMANG portal flaws?
- A.Railway ticket bookings
- B.LPG cylinder bookings with at least one major oil marketing company
- C.Flight bookings with a private airline
- D.Hotel reservations
The UMANG portal flaws exposed LPG cylinder booking details, raising concerns over data security and misuse.
← All current affairs