DHRUVA: Draft UPI-Like Digital Address System Explained
Why in the news
A draft from the Department of Posts proposes a consent-based virtual label so people need not keep re-entering full addresses.
Key facts
- Expansion: Digital Hub for Reference and Unique Virtual Address.
- Label: name@entity acts as a proxy for the physical address.
- Consent: users choose who can see their geocoded or textual address; access is time-bound.
- DIGIPIN: open-sourced, about 228 billion unique pins, handy for rural and hard-to-map areas.
- AaaS: secure APIs let government, logistics, e-commerce and fintech use address data.
Aim
- One secure, user-controlled address ecosystem.
- Treat addresses as public infrastructure like Aadhaar, UPI and DigiLocker.
Exam angle
- Nodal department: Posts.
- Related terms: DIGIPIN, Address-as-a-Service.