'The object-ives of Aadhar need to be made clear.''
Even as registration for the unique identification number (UID) or Aadhar is set to begin in Bangalore, there is little clarity about it. The Aadhar website sets out a picture that seems at odds from the reality unfolding on the ground. The information being sought is far more intrusive than that is officially claimed. Not surprisingly, Aadhar is raising questions, suspicions and unease in the minds of the public. Its website says the 12-digit unique number to be issued to all residents, which will be stored in a centralised database, will be linked to basic demographics and biometric information – photograph, ten fingerprints and iris – of each individual. It goes on to clarify that getting the number is not mandatory; neither will it replace other IDs such as ration cards, for instance. It also reassures the public about confidentiality.
A special registration done for media persons a few days ago laid bare a rather different Aadhar. People were asked to provide bank account numbers, LPG gas connection numbers and so on. Significantly, the form they were asked to fill was different from the one available for download on the official website. Officials have said provision of bank information etc is voluntary and indeed, they did register those who refused to divulge this information. Yet, why is this information being sought in the first place? Does the government intend pushing people who refused to provide this information now, to divulge it subsequently by linking the number to availability of banking services, LPG and so on? The objectives of Aadhar are unclear. The UID has been touted too as a tool that will empower the poor in accessing services such as the formal banking system. As far as security is concerned, it is naive to think that people with criminal intent will come forward to register themselves.
In any case, biometrics is not fool-proof, say experts. Critics are also drawing attention to possible misuse of information gathered. It could facilitate cybercrime. It is hard to dispel the feeling too that UIDAI will eventually force us to volunteer all information about ourselves, our bank accounts and so on. This is violation of our privacy. A large amount of public money is being invested in Aadhar. The government owes the public honest answers. It must clarify what information it is gathering and why. If the Aadhar juggernaut is more of a bane than a blessing, it must be stopped now.
___________________________
User Comments
By: pkc
On: 15 Aug 2011 11:17 am
An eye opening article doing very good public service in this context. People already led up the garden path on so many schemes already; this is yet one more example. We are experts already in manipulated stats presentations periodically in so many sectors and this Aadhar cards sector also is no exception. Tall claims made initially for issuance of cards within three weeks but it is modified now to mean even three months. Millions kept pending for more than six months also and so many complaints of long pending Aadhaar cards are regularly published in various newspapers also. Helpline numbers work to rule and dont do any subsequent follow up jobs on their own!; Subcontractors men with dirty dress instruct whimsically and insist on many addl.information from many applicants; they dont even supply the forms on one excuse or the other ; they themselves write unnecessary addl.inf. on the printed forms which, as rightly pointed out in the article, are different from the one downloaded from website. Corrections of mistakes on the spot avoided giving one excuse or the other. Substandard webcams, finger printing pads, aids etc exist in many such agency offices. Millions of applications are kept pending and pending. Agents as those in RTA, passport offices flourish for speed processings of reqd.aadhaar cards on speed money basis. Phone numbers collected and misused already by many agencies to send so many unwanted phone calls and SMS messages; govt. trying to solve this nuisance calls and SMS for the last several years. But not able to do so upto now; only excuses galores given often, because controlling authority is govt.machinery. One day in near future so many addl.nuisance calls and messages on the basis of the stolen or clandestinely given centralized Aadhaar data details are going to develop for unsuspecting citizens incldg. gross misuses also in various ways. In Govt.Depts, institutions malpractices are easy to accomplish through obvious inducements.
By: Mithun
On: 15 Aug 2011 03:39 am
It will seem like questioning everything and supporting that with misinformation is a responsible thing. But it is not. The author of this article did not attempt to understand more about UID. The author gave an impression that He/She attempted to understand UID from their web site, but it is not. The author has seen what is convenient to write this article and ignored other information that will prove the second paragraph as blatantly irresponsible. I request the author to go through thoroughly the website again, and carefully read through the documents and studies published the usage of aadhaar. To name few, they are direct subsidy transfer of LPG subsidy, PDS using biometrics, Health insurance through UID etc..
By: Seeker
On: 15 Aug 2011 07:06 pm
The article is apt in my view for the fact, beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder, if one sees Aadhar and read it is really fancy. More than 60% population lives in Villages with out electricity, Health care forget the daily calorie requirement and Internet is not on the list.The Pilferage happens by the Contractors and likes of Kalmadis,Reddy's and their cotorie, If one belives Aadhar is required for the welfare of this state let all the MP's get the aadhar first, let all the Politicans and people get the UID No and tatoo on where ever they want.. let this be the case study. The Fact is this country need small band aids for the bleeding problems and not a Cosmetic Surgery which might be required after 50 Years. The PDS/LPG subsidy and all this crap are just a Humbug..let's apply our common sense here PDS is managed by State Govt ( which is a state Affair) and in Pathetic condition in spite of so many commitee reports. It's the mafia which is looting in the name of PDS/NREGA etc.. and this UID yet be approved by parliment( Undemocratic) and technically-Commercially has lot many flaws as studied by IIM-A/TISS and yet other countries which scrapped the same
By: Gharp
On: 15 Aug 2011 10:02 am
And yet the comment above does nothing to further clarify or make the process any more transparent by specifically explicating the contents of the website. They only call "irresponsible" and ignore the common gap between what is said and what is done.
Even as registration for the unique identification number (UID) or Aadhar is set to begin in Bangalore, there is little clarity about it. The Aadhar website sets out a picture that seems at odds from the reality unfolding on the ground. The information being sought is far more intrusive than that is officially claimed. Not surprisingly, Aadhar is raising questions, suspicions and unease in the minds of the public. Its website says the 12-digit unique number to be issued to all residents, which will be stored in a centralised database, will be linked to basic demographics and biometric information – photograph, ten fingerprints and iris – of each individual. It goes on to clarify that getting the number is not mandatory; neither will it replace other IDs such as ration cards, for instance. It also reassures the public about confidentiality.
A special registration done for media persons a few days ago laid bare a rather different Aadhar. People were asked to provide bank account numbers, LPG gas connection numbers and so on. Significantly, the form they were asked to fill was different from the one available for download on the official website. Officials have said provision of bank information etc is voluntary and indeed, they did register those who refused to divulge this information. Yet, why is this information being sought in the first place? Does the government intend pushing people who refused to provide this information now, to divulge it subsequently by linking the number to availability of banking services, LPG and so on? The objectives of Aadhar are unclear. The UID has been touted too as a tool that will empower the poor in accessing services such as the formal banking system. As far as security is concerned, it is naive to think that people with criminal intent will come forward to register themselves.
In any case, biometrics is not fool-proof, say experts. Critics are also drawing attention to possible misuse of information gathered. It could facilitate cybercrime. It is hard to dispel the feeling too that UIDAI will eventually force us to volunteer all information about ourselves, our bank accounts and so on. This is violation of our privacy. A large amount of public money is being invested in Aadhar. The government owes the public honest answers. It must clarify what information it is gathering and why. If the Aadhar juggernaut is more of a bane than a blessing, it must be stopped now.
___________________________
User Comments
By: pkc
On: 15 Aug 2011 11:17 am
An eye opening article doing very good public service in this context. People already led up the garden path on so many schemes already; this is yet one more example. We are experts already in manipulated stats presentations periodically in so many sectors and this Aadhar cards sector also is no exception. Tall claims made initially for issuance of cards within three weeks but it is modified now to mean even three months. Millions kept pending for more than six months also and so many complaints of long pending Aadhaar cards are regularly published in various newspapers also. Helpline numbers work to rule and dont do any subsequent follow up jobs on their own!; Subcontractors men with dirty dress instruct whimsically and insist on many addl.information from many applicants; they dont even supply the forms on one excuse or the other ; they themselves write unnecessary addl.inf. on the printed forms which, as rightly pointed out in the article, are different from the one downloaded from website. Corrections of mistakes on the spot avoided giving one excuse or the other. Substandard webcams, finger printing pads, aids etc exist in many such agency offices. Millions of applications are kept pending and pending. Agents as those in RTA, passport offices flourish for speed processings of reqd.aadhaar cards on speed money basis. Phone numbers collected and misused already by many agencies to send so many unwanted phone calls and SMS messages; govt. trying to solve this nuisance calls and SMS for the last several years. But not able to do so upto now; only excuses galores given often, because controlling authority is govt.machinery. One day in near future so many addl.nuisance calls and messages on the basis of the stolen or clandestinely given centralized Aadhaar data details are going to develop for unsuspecting citizens incldg. gross misuses also in various ways. In Govt.Depts, institutions malpractices are easy to accomplish through obvious inducements.
By: Mithun
On: 15 Aug 2011 03:39 am
It will seem like questioning everything and supporting that with misinformation is a responsible thing. But it is not. The author of this article did not attempt to understand more about UID. The author gave an impression that He/She attempted to understand UID from their web site, but it is not. The author has seen what is convenient to write this article and ignored other information that will prove the second paragraph as blatantly irresponsible. I request the author to go through thoroughly the website again, and carefully read through the documents and studies published the usage of aadhaar. To name few, they are direct subsidy transfer of LPG subsidy, PDS using biometrics, Health insurance through UID etc..
By: Seeker
On: 15 Aug 2011 07:06 pm
The article is apt in my view for the fact, beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder, if one sees Aadhar and read it is really fancy. More than 60% population lives in Villages with out electricity, Health care forget the daily calorie requirement and Internet is not on the list.The Pilferage happens by the Contractors and likes of Kalmadis,Reddy's and their cotorie, If one belives Aadhar is required for the welfare of this state let all the MP's get the aadhar first, let all the Politicans and people get the UID No and tatoo on where ever they want.. let this be the case study. The Fact is this country need small band aids for the bleeding problems and not a Cosmetic Surgery which might be required after 50 Years. The PDS/LPG subsidy and all this crap are just a Humbug..let's apply our common sense here PDS is managed by State Govt ( which is a state Affair) and in Pathetic condition in spite of so many commitee reports. It's the mafia which is looting in the name of PDS/NREGA etc.. and this UID yet be approved by parliment( Undemocratic) and technically-Commercially has lot many flaws as studied by IIM-A/TISS and yet other countries which scrapped the same
By: Gharp
On: 15 Aug 2011 10:02 am
And yet the comment above does nothing to further clarify or make the process any more transparent by specifically explicating the contents of the website. They only call "irresponsible" and ignore the common gap between what is said and what is done.
