Digital Hub for Reference and Unique Virtual Address

Digital Hub for Reference and Unique Virtual Address (DHRUVA) Latest News

The Department of Posts recently released a draft amendment to the Post Office Act, 2023, aimed at introducing an interoperable, standardised, and user-centric addressing system called the Digital Hub for Reference and Unique Virtual Address, or DHRUVA.

About Digital Hub for Reference and Unique Virtual Address (DHRUVA)

• Developed by the Department of Posts, DHRUVA sets the foundation for a nationwide Digital Address Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI).
• It envisions a standardized, interoperable, and geocoded digital addressing system that supports secure, consent-based, and seamless sharing of address information. 
• At its core is the concept of Address-as-a-Service (AaaS) — the array of services associated with address data management to support secure and efficient interactions between users, government entities, and private sector organizations.
• The AaaS Framework Ensures:
  • Interoperability across different address systems used by various sectors.
  • Standardization of address formats and geolocation tagging.
  • Consent-based sharing to empower user control and privacy.
  • Public-private integration for seamless adoption and innovation.
• By recognizing digital addresses as core infrastructure, akin to Aadhaar and Unified Payments Interface (UPI), DHRUVA sets out to streamline everything from e-governance and online commerce to urban planning and emergency services.
• The policy also places emphasis on user-centric design, ensuring that citizens have meaningful control over how their address data is used and shared.
• Citizens will retain full control over their digital address identity, with options to manage access, update details, and share their verified address securely for various use cases. 
• The DHRUVA platform will also feature multilingual support, mobile-first access, and integration with identity systems like Aadhaar, thereby improving usability and accessibility for all demographics.
• The DHRUVA policy builds upon the earlier launch of the Digital Postal Index Number (DIGIPIN)—the National Addressing Grid introduced by the Department of Posts. 

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Key Facts about DIGIPIN

• It is an open-source nationwide geo-coded addressing system developed by the Department of Posts in collaboration with IIT Hyderabad and NRSC, ISRO. 
• It divides India into approx. 4m x 4m grids and assigns each grid a unique 10-character alphanumeric code based on latitude and longitude coordinates.
• The DIGIPIN system is publicly accessible and supports improvements in emergency response, logistics efficiency, and citizen service delivery.

Source: TH