Cabinet clears PAN 2.0, card to feature QR code

An upgrade of existing Permanent Account Number (PAN) with an additional feature of QR code on the cards along with a proposal to make PAN “the common identifier for businesses” was approved by the Union Cabinet on Monday.

The Cabinet approved the PAN 2.0 Project of the Income Tax Department, with a cost of Rs 1,435 crore, under which the existing system will be upgraded completely, the digital backbone will be revamped and PAN will be made as a common business identifier for all digital systems of specified government agencies, Information and Broadcasting Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said during the Cabinet briefing.