No single vendor may get over Rs 30-cr UID contract
Bibhu Ranjan Mishra / Bangalore May 17, 2010, 1:07 IST
UIDAI has split the overall project into small ones and handed them over to multiple vendors to speed up work.
Global and Indian IT vendors, waiting for big-ticket contracts out of the government’s ambitious unique identification (UID) programme called ‘Adhaar’, may be disappointed. The UID Authority of India (UIDAI) has split the overall project into small ones and handed them over to multiple vendors to speed up work. As a result, no single IT contract is likely to cross Rs 30 crore, except the managed services provider (MSP), tender for which will be floated soon.
“In order to adhere to time lines, UIDAI has unbundled many components of the project. If we had designed it in a few big-ticket portfolios, like MSP and others, the project would have taken more time for rollout,” Nandan Nilekani, UIDAI chairman, told Business Standard. He said the real challenge going forward would be to integrate all these components from multiple vendors and develop a scalable model.
The former Infosys CEO and MD, who has been entrusted with the execution of this ambitious project, is seen using his business acumen developed over the years as a seasoned CIO to procure IT services cost-effectively and at the same time deploy the “best-of-the-breed” solutions.
“It is true UIDAI is looking for best-of-the-breed service providers. In principle, we desire to build a system to prevent vendor lock-in and this is likely to bring down the cost of procurement for IT systems and software,” said Nilekani.
Most contracts announced recently are not very big from their value point of view, though these projects have seen participation of global and Indian big names like IBM, Accenture, HP, Capgemini, TCS, Infosys, Wipro, HCL and MindTree.
The first UID contract to become a consulting partner for UIDAI, for example, was of the size of Rs 7.05 crore, which was bagged by consultancy firm Ernst & Young. The project for the development of the core software application was Rs 19 crore. It was bagged by Bangalore-based IT services provider MindTree, outbidding Accenture.
This, however, has not deterred vendors from bidding for the contracts as most of them consider it a reference point for future government contracts.
“As a project of this magnitude was never executed in India before, the UID authority is playing it safe by identifying the best-in-the-breed service providers in each category. This is the reason we may not see big deal sizes. For most companies, participating in the bid and bagging a single UID contract is like getting a certificate to participate in future government contracts,” said the Indian head of a global IT and consulting firm.
He added that this was the reason why MindTree, which emerged as the lowest commercial bidder (L1) for the core software application development contract, quoted Rs 19 crore against Accenture, the second highest bidder (L2), which quoted Rs 90 crore. “This will help UIDAI to procure IT services at the best prices available in the market,” he said.
MindTree would soon come out with the “Release 1” of the software application development. The subsequent version would be out around the same time when UIDAI brings on board an MSP.
Why this Blog ? News articles in the Wide World of Web, quite often disappear with time, when they are relocated as archives with a different url. Archives in this blog serve as a library for those who are interested in doing Research on Aadhaar Related Topics. Articles are published with details of original publication date and the url.
In 2009, I became extremely concerned with the concept of Unique Identity for various reasons. Connected with many like minded highly educated people who were all concerned.
On 18th May 2010, I started this Blog to capture anything and everything I came across on the topic. This blog with its million hits is a testament to my concerns about loss of privacy and fear of the ID being misused and possible Criminal activities it could lead to.
In 2017 the Supreme Court of India gave its verdict after one of the longest hearings on any issue. I did my bit and appealed to the Supreme Court Judges too through an On Line Petition.
In 2019 the Aadhaar Legislation has been revised and passed by the two houses of the Parliament of India making it Legal. I am no Legal Eagle so my Opinion carries no weight except with people opposed to the very concept.
In 2019, this Blog now just captures on a Daily Basis list of Articles Published on anything to do with Aadhaar as obtained from Daily Google Searches and nothing more. Cannot burn the midnight candle any longer.
"In Matters of Conscience, the Law of Majority has no place"- Mahatma Gandhi
Ram Krishnaswamy
Sydney, Australia.
Aadhaar
The UIDAI has taken two successive governments in India and the entire world for a ride. It identifies nothing. It is not unique. The entire UID data has never been verified and audited. The UID cannot be used for governance, financial databases or anything. It’s use is the biggest threat to national security since independence. – Anupam Saraph 2018
When I opposed Aadhaar in 2010 , I was called a BJP stooge. In 2016 I am still opposing Aadhaar for the same reasons and I am told I am a Congress die hard. No one wants to see why I oppose Aadhaar as it is too difficult. Plus Aadhaar is FREE so why not get one ? Ram Krishnaswamy
First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win.-Mahatma Gandhi
In matters of conscience, the law of the majority has no place.Mahatma Gandhi
“The invasion of privacy is of no consequence because privacy is not a fundamental right and has no meaning under Article 21. The right to privacy is not a guaranteed under the constitution, because privacy is not a fundamental right.” Article 21 of the Indian constitution refers to the right to life and liberty -Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi
“There is merit in the complaints. You are unwittingly allowing snooping, harassment and commercial exploitation. The information about an individual obtained by the UIDAI while issuing an Aadhaar card shall not be used for any other purpose, save as above, except as may be directed by a court for the purpose of criminal investigation.”-A three judge bench headed by Justice J Chelameswar said in an interim order.
Legal scholar Usha Ramanathan describes UID as an inverse of sunshine laws like the Right to Information. While the RTI makes the state transparent to the citizen, the UID does the inverse: it makes the citizen transparent to the state, she says.
Good idea gone bad
I have written earlier that UID/Aadhaar was a poorly designed, unreliable and expensive solution to the really good idea of providing national identification for over a billion Indians. My petition contends that UID in its current form violates the right to privacy of a citizen, guaranteed under Article 21 of the Constitution. This is because sensitive biometric and demographic information of citizens are with enrolment agencies, registrars and sub-registrars who have no legal liability for any misuse of this data. This petition has opened up the larger discussion on privacy rights for Indians. The current Article 21 interpretation by the Supreme Court was done decades ago, before the advent of internet and today’s technology and all the new privacy challenges that have arisen as a consequence.
Rajeev Chandrasekhar, MP Rajya Sabha
“What is Aadhaar? There is enormous confusion. That Aadhaar will identify people who are entitled for subsidy. No. Aadhaar doesn’t determine who is eligible and who isn’t,” Jairam Ramesh
But Aadhaar has been mythologised during the previous government by its creators into some technology super force that will transform governance in a miraculous manner. I even read an article recently that compared Aadhaar to some revolution and quoted a 1930s historian, Will Durant.Rajeev Chandrasekhar, Rajya Sabha MP
“I know you will say that it is not mandatory. But, it is compulsorily mandatorily voluntary,” Jairam Ramesh, Rajya Saba April 2017.
August 24, 2017: The nine-judge Constitution Bench rules that right to privacy is “intrinsic to life and liberty”and is inherently protected under the various fundamental freedoms enshrined under Part III of the Indian Constitution
"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the World; indeed it's the only thing that ever has"
“Arguing that you don’t care about the right to privacy because you have nothing to hide is no different than saying you don’t care about free speech because you have nothing to say.” -Edward Snowden
In the Supreme Court, Meenakshi Arora, one of the senior counsel in the case, compared it to living under a general, perpetual, nation-wide criminal warrant.
Had never thought of it that way, but living in the Aadhaar universe is like living in a prison. All of us are treated like criminals with barely any rights or recourse and gatekeepers have absolute power on you and your life.
Announcing the launch of the # BreakAadhaarChainscampaign, culminating with events in multiple cities on 12th Jan. This is the last opportunity to make your voice heard before the Supreme Court hearings start on 17th Jan 2018. In collaboration with @no2uidand@rozi_roti.
UIDAI's security seems to be founded on four time tested pillars of security idiocy
1) Denial
2) Issue fiats and point finger
3) Shoot messenger
4) Bury head in sand.
God Save India
