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The Central government announced the ₹1,435-crore PAN 2.0 project to make the Permanent Account Number (PAN) a universal identifier for all digital systems of government agencies.
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, approved the project, which is managed by the Income Tax Department.
PAN 2.0
The project aims to improve taxpayer registration services with a focus on technology, ease of access, faster service delivery, and enhanced quality.
An upgrade of existing Permanent Account Number (PAN) with an additional feature of QR code on the cards
It also seeks to ensure consistency in data, eco-friendly processes, cost optimization, and better security and infrastructure for increased efficiency.
The PAN 2.0 project supports the government's Digital India vision, allowing PAN to be used as a common identifier across various government digital systems.
The existing ones can regenerate the old PAN card to the QR code-enabled ones
The upgrade for existing PAN holders will be free of cost.
Currently, around 78 crore PANs have been issued, with 98% of them allocated to individuals.
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