If 's and but's of UIDAI

The UIDAI (Unique Identification Authority of India) which is otherwise also known by the name of 'Aadhar' in common parlence is another highly ambitious government scheme popularized to help give a valid identity to the citizens of India with the larger goal of benefitting the poor and the marginalized sections of rural India. It will establish their identity and thereby their inclusion in the mainstream.

The project to encompass the 600 million families under the scheme by providing each individual an alpha numeric identity number, not a card, mind you, which would be another addition to his other various identity credential will enable him to prove that he is a citizen of the country and so a beneficiary of the government schemes and assistances. Initially conceptualized just with the identity issue it has seen changes over the time in its very aim and structure.

Former Infosys head Nandan Nilekani is heading this unspecified mega expensive scheme whose first phase expenditure is said to be around Rs 3000 million. 'Aadhar' has started rolling with some numbers distributerd in Maharastra and Tripura's rural belt. The project is progressing phase wise and will take a long time to actually become a complete success. A stipulated time of the year 2014 is given to complete the first phase. There are serious speculations. Why is it that a project that started with a larger prespective has slowly narrowed down benefitting the rural poor and marginalized only. If it is that the poor are in a greater identity crisis well in good.

Mr Nilekani insists that the number will not discriminate citizens. The fact is that the number is mandatory not compulsory. How does the government then visualize no discrimination, not just in NREGA but elsewhere too.

Describing it Nandan Nilekani says that it will be just a number that will be given to the individual which will establish his/her identity based on biometrics. This will be different from all the other identities like a bank account, PAN, ration card, passport and the likes which means that now there is a number that has to be remembered. This number will help the individual to approach the most convenient and close by vendor or grocery shop owner in the village or small towns to take a loan from or to check how much is there in his bank. Now how does a villager or an illiterate supposed to remember his number? Aren't his priorities different unless this works as some magic wand in his hand.

The project also has serious concern as regards its accountability towards people and the Parliament. There is no bill passed in the houses of Parliament regarding this as such. So how about the fact that if this government falls the project will still continue or for that matter if Mr Nandan Nilekani falls off the humor of the next government the project will have him at the helm of affairs. A 3000 crore rupee venture is resting on the shoulders of the ruling government. He has no answer. Also that how much and who is accountable and answerable to the Parliament about its goings. 

The budget granted for the project is colossal. What ministry does the project fall under and where will the allocation come from? These are some questions that remain unanswered.

Further Mr Nilekani says that the identification number does not establish citizenship. It only gives an individual an identity and authentication. And also that a friend or a relative can be an introducer to validate the number seeker. How about all the immigrants entering India from say Bangladesh. As they don't have papers to prove their citizenship they would be sure enough able to procure a number for themselves on the identification by their Indian friend or relative which goes to say that this Bangladeshi then gets a number for himself and be highly a resident of this country. Is this how the way inclusion will work?

Then there are many potential privacy fallouts of this project, not the least of which is triggered by the Government's official plan to link the databases together.

The project also entails risks that arise from its centralization which may come up with possible errors in the collection of information, recording of inaccurate data, corruption of data from anonymous sources and unauthorized access to or disclosure of personal information. There are many more similar risks such as trading and selling of information and India, which has no generally established data protection laws such as the U.S. Probably Mr Nilekani has an answer to these and solution for this intricate excercise. Afterall according to him 'Technology is not a penacea for every problem in India.'

The other side of the coin, the better one, is that the UID will link a person's Passport Number, Driving License, PAN card, Bank Accounts, Address, Voter ID, etc and all this information that will be checked through a database. So, for example, if someone has different addresses on PAN and driving license, is liable to get caught. Those who will opt out of this program may have much inconvenience in doing business, operating bank accounts and other offices which will require a UID.

The government also claims that problems of rigged state elections, widespread embezzlement that affects subsidies and poverty alleviation programs such as NREGA, addressing illegal immigration into India and terrorist threats is another and the larger goal of the program through UID. This probably does not figure in any discussions as such. We still have to see how does the project see all this through. Hope that the good intentions of the government are brought to good use and results. As Mr Nilekani said in the Rajendra Prasad Memorial lecture hosted by The Editors Gulid in New Delhi, 'dont sweat on small things, think larger. It is the delivering and execution of the project that is the exciting part of it. My challenges are to come up with an operating model, speed, quality and low cost. ' Good Luck Mr Nilekani !!!