UIDAI responds to questions posed by an op-ed in The
Hindu
Through his opinion piece (Questions
for Mr. Nilekani published on the Edit Page
on 6th February), SG Vombatkere criticizes various facets of the
Aadhaar project. The central precept of the
essay seems to be the alleged coercion by way of which governments are said to
be enrolling residents for Aadhaar. He also questions the worthiness and
security of the project albeit on shaky grounds.
Gen. Vombatkere implies that processes outlined by the UIDAI
are “meant to bypass the corrupt bureaucratic system … and bring them into the
banking system.” This is an erroneous assertion. First,
referring to the entire “bureaucratic system” as “corrupt” is just the kind of
generalization that prevents meaningful engagement. Second, the UIDAI pays special emphasis in designing speedy,
safe and scalable enrolment processes with adequate checks and balances. Third, the UIDAI’s mandate is to provide a
robust identification and authentication infrastructure to the residents of India, especially the indigent and the
marginalized. The Authority is responsible for putting in place strong
and secure plumbing that can enhance service delivery. Financial inclusion is
one such application riding on UIDAI’s infrastructure since possession of an
Aadhaar number enables opening of a bank account. What
is particularly baffling is the author’s inability to see the merits of
bringing “hundreds of millions of micro- and nano-investors who are today
outside the banking system … into the credit economy.”
Further, he contends that the “Aadhaar scheme appears to
have quietly metamorphosed into becoming exclusionary and non-optional.” This could
not be further from the truth. People from
across the country have enthusiastically enrolled for Aadhaar, many have
done so to avail of their first authenticable identity. As has been said
previously, mandating Aadhaar in other databases for improvements in service
delivery is the prerogative of the departments concerned. Moreover, UIDAI has always held that while it will not mandate
Aadhaar, service providers could do the same while ensuring that there have
been adequate opportunities for residents to enroll for Aadhaar. The
very fact that the Government has looked beyond its own departments to public
sector banks and other agencies for enrollment
assistance points to its intent to maximize registration touch points
while minimizing exclusion.
The efficacy of the project
was highlighted by a recent study released by the National
Institute of Public Finance and Policy. The study found that substantial benefits would accrue to the government
by integrating Aadhaar with schemes such as PDS, MNREGS, fertiliser and LPG
subsidies, as well as housing, education and health programmes. The benefits
will arise from the reduction in leakages that occur due to identification and
authentication issues.
For Gen. Vombatkere the
UIDAI’s Biometric Standards Committee observation that a project of this
magnitude has never been attempted before thereby rendering comparative
analysis impossible becomes another ground for
doubt. In fact, the Committee simply observed that no other nation-state
has undertaken such a mammoth exercise; therefore
the effectiveness of biometrics at this scale is difficult to determine. In
other words, the Committee did not cast doubts
on the operational principles of biometric technology. Thus, to infer
that the Committee deterred the Authority from undertaking the project is
fallacious. In fact, having deployed biometric technology
for 300 million residents, we can vouch for its reliability. UIDAI has also
published a paper based on scientific study demonstrating an accuracy of
99.965% against a database gallery of 8.4 crores. At UIDAI, we’re taking on a moonshot in trying to address a huge
problem by leveraging – and creating – an unprecedented identification
technology. The lack of this kind of
infrastructure has taken a severe
economic and social toll on the country and we believe radical experimentation, not incremental fixes, will
result in a durable solution.
Additionally, the author
raises concerns with regards to data security
and privacy on the grounds that many of the vendors working on Aadhaar
are not indigenous companies. The best IT technologies used in information
storage, network, database, etc. all come from international firms and are used
for IT projects across the world. This does not mean data stored there is the
property of those companies. Readers will concur with the view that protecting privacy assumes data security. To
that end, UIDAI aims to be a responsible
steward of data. We have invested a lot in
implementing best-in-class security systems and processes in our data
centers to keep data safe. We also hold several consultations with
various stakeholders to understand concerns around security and privacy.
Learnings from these exercises help us ensure that the project is designed with
data security and privacy in mind.
The UIDAI chooses its service
providers through competitive processes in line with procurement norms laid
down by the Government. Thus far, the
Authority has not discovered any violation of the conditions under which
contracts with service providers have been signed. Furthermore, we have always
sought to engage vendors with relevant expertise and experience irrespective of
their nationality. Both Indian and non-Indian organizations have contributed
significantly to the evolution of Aadhaar. While Gen. Vombatkere prefers to hold the Aadhaar ecosystem guilty until
proven innocent, the Authority is committed to engaging the best and brightest
to build this unique infrastructure.
Finally, claiming that the “the UIDAI shelters under the
Prime Minister’s protective wing and continues to stonewall not only public
queries and criticism” amounts to disregarding
the development of this Authority as an entirely legitimate, inclusive and
consultative organization. Our workings are open for scrutiny by various governmental and non-governmental
bodies. UIDAI has consistently set new benchmarks
in transparency and accountability by making public all its operations
and decisions. We have always welcomed constructive criticism and continue to
believe that relevant and timely feedback from people strengthens our approach
and resolve.
R.S. Sharma
Director General &
Mission Director, UIDAI
