A youth from Thrissur has designed UIDAI’s newly launched Aadhaar mascot ‘Udai’, unveiled on Thursday to make Aadhaar-related services easier to understand and more people-friendly.

The Unique Identification Authority of India said the mascot will act as a resident-facing communication companion, helping simplify information on Aadhaar updates, authentication, offline verification, selective data sharing and responsible usage.

Arun Gokul of Thrissur won first prize in the national mascot design competition, which was conducted through the MyGov platform. The open contest drew 875 entries from across the country, including students, professionals and designers.

UIDAI chief executive officer Bhuvnesh Kumar said the competition reaffirmed a core principle of Aadhaar that public participation builds trust and acceptance. The strong response, he said, reflected how deeply citizens connect with Aadhaar as a public good.

The name ‘Udai’ was selected through a separate national competition, with Riya Jain of Bhopal winning first prize. Idris Dawaiwala of Pune and Maharaj Saran Chellapilla of Hyderabad secured the second and third positions respectively.

The mascot was unveiled by UIDAI chairman Neelkanth Mishra at a function in Thiruvananthapuram, where the winners were felicitated.

UIDAI said the launch of ‘Udai’ is part of its ongoing effort to make Aadhaar communication simpler, more inclusive and relatable for over a billion residents across India.