Thursday, Dec 02, 2010
Rahul Wadke
Mumbai, Dec. 1
Human rights activist and other advocacy groups have been raising a hue and cry over the recently launched unique identification programme over privacy issues. But intelligence and investigation agencies see it as an opportunity for extracting information.
The programme is being implemented by Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) with a mandate to issue every resident in India a unique identification number (UID) linked to the resident's demographic and biometric information. With this, they can identify themselves anywhere in India, and access a host of benefits and services.
A number of banks, insurance companies, financial institutions, and government departments such as the Rationing Department, have also entered into Memoranda of Understanding with UIDAI for enrolling citizens into the UID system.
These organisations are acting as registrars for the UIDAI. In a couple of years these registrars will use the UID numbers to accurately identify account holders and beneficiaries. It is this vast customer database which is being created that the investigative and intelligence agencies are the most keen to tap.
Former chief of National Investigation Agency Mr Radha Vinod Raju said that at times anti-national elements dealing in fake currency use PAN cards to open accounts in banks. But with UIDs, it would be easy to get all details of bank accounts, addresses and other details of such suspects, “It will yield easily traceable tracks of suspected persons,” he said.
He said sometimes criminals commit offences in the country and then move overseas. If the agency has biometric data like fingerprints and iris scans then it will become easy to extradite the suspect.
“The UID would help in getting impeccable evidence which could be used for getting a warrant and search and seizure notice. The weight of the judiciary would be behind the agencies,” Mr Raju said.
According to a senior intelligence officer, tracking hardened criminals and terrorists at times can be very difficult as they are always on the move and have many aliases. The UID with its interlinked database could supply more information on them.
“Currently if we track a suspect to a particular house or a flat, our teams have to go to the Census and Rationing offices and dig out the data on the family staying there, but the process is time-consuming. If we make any enquires in the vicinity of the house, then there are a chances that it may alert the suspect. But with UID linked to the Rationing offices, we would get the information in real time,” the officer said.
Data security
Vast amounts of personal data in Government offices are also vulnerable to theft and misuse, therefore data needs to be accessed only by authorised personnel.
Mr Shantanu Ghosh, Vice-President, India Product Operations, Symantec, said that putting the right data security measures in place, involves first defining policies around who can access confidential information. Sharing of data between different arms of the government will require the authorities to find methods of spelling them out and enforcing these policies, he said.
Mumbai, Dec. 1
Human rights activist and other advocacy groups have been raising a hue and cry over the recently launched unique identification programme over privacy issues. But intelligence and investigation agencies see it as an opportunity for extracting information.
The programme is being implemented by Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) with a mandate to issue every resident in India a unique identification number (UID) linked to the resident's demographic and biometric information. With this, they can identify themselves anywhere in India, and access a host of benefits and services.
A number of banks, insurance companies, financial institutions, and government departments such as the Rationing Department, have also entered into Memoranda of Understanding with UIDAI for enrolling citizens into the UID system.
These organisations are acting as registrars for the UIDAI. In a couple of years these registrars will use the UID numbers to accurately identify account holders and beneficiaries. It is this vast customer database which is being created that the investigative and intelligence agencies are the most keen to tap.
Former chief of National Investigation Agency Mr Radha Vinod Raju said that at times anti-national elements dealing in fake currency use PAN cards to open accounts in banks. But with UIDs, it would be easy to get all details of bank accounts, addresses and other details of such suspects, “It will yield easily traceable tracks of suspected persons,” he said.
He said sometimes criminals commit offences in the country and then move overseas. If the agency has biometric data like fingerprints and iris scans then it will become easy to extradite the suspect.
“The UID would help in getting impeccable evidence which could be used for getting a warrant and search and seizure notice. The weight of the judiciary would be behind the agencies,” Mr Raju said.
According to a senior intelligence officer, tracking hardened criminals and terrorists at times can be very difficult as they are always on the move and have many aliases. The UID with its interlinked database could supply more information on them.
“Currently if we track a suspect to a particular house or a flat, our teams have to go to the Census and Rationing offices and dig out the data on the family staying there, but the process is time-consuming. If we make any enquires in the vicinity of the house, then there are a chances that it may alert the suspect. But with UID linked to the Rationing offices, we would get the information in real time,” the officer said.
Data security
Vast amounts of personal data in Government offices are also vulnerable to theft and misuse, therefore data needs to be accessed only by authorised personnel.
Mr Shantanu Ghosh, Vice-President, India Product Operations, Symantec, said that putting the right data security measures in place, involves first defining policies around who can access confidential information. Sharing of data between different arms of the government will require the authorities to find methods of spelling them out and enforcing these policies, he said.
