THE BIOMETRICS IDENTIFICATION IMBROGLIO
By
S.G.Vombatkere**
Providing direct benefit transfer (DBT) is based primarily on authentication of an individual's biometrics against stored biometric data captured on enrolment, by employing specialized hardware at every disbursing point, every time an individual seeks to obtain a benefit. Thus, hi-tech electronic hardware with backup power (battery and inverter) must be provided to every ration shop, MNREGA centre, every centre where salaries and pensions are paid, etc., across the country. If one does the arithmetic, it might mean billions of pieces of electronic hardware, each one of them needing an electric power source, and enormous expenditure for initial cost and maintenance-repair. Great days ahead for those who work out the contracts!
UIDAI is India's flagship primemover for the biometrics identification Aadhaar mega-scheme for India's 1.25 billion inhabitants. It captures ten fingerprints and iris scan, though authentication is done by thumbprint alone. However, the Mission Director and DG of UIDAI, Mr R S Sharma, in an interview with “Frontline” in November 2011, had said, "Capturing fingerprints, especially of manual labourers, is a challenge. The quality of fingerprints is bad because of the rough exterior of fingers caused by hard work, and this poses a challenge for later authentication. ... Issuing a unique identity will not be a major problem. But authentication will be, because fingerprint is the basic mode of authentication." [Usha Ramanathan; “Best finger first, but let's now scan the eye”; <http://www.thestatesman.net/news/4789-Best-finger-first—but-let-s-now-scan-the-eye.html>; The Statesman; July 10, 2013]. In fact, reports from across the country keep coming in about biometrics problems at both capture and authentication stages, especially for old people and people whose fingers are worn out for various reasons, precisely as anticipated by Mr.R.S.Sharma in his weak moment of truthful admission.
Firsthand demonstration of this was provided by checking out a complaint from Ms.Chikkathayamma of Kumbarakoppal, Mysore. (Incidentally, Mysore is where UIDAI conducted the pilot for biometrics-based Aadhaar identification). On August 29, 2013, this writer accompanied the lady, a domestic worker, to the PDS outlet where she drew her rations. Her thumbprint had not been “registering” and so she had to repeatedly go to the ration shop, and spend hours each time, but still could not draw her rice ration. The PDS ration shop owner agreed that her thumbprint was indeed not being “accepted” by the machine, that about 20-25 persons who come to his shop have the same problem, and that these unfortunate persons are either old, or construction or agricultural workers. This was confirmed the same day from other PDS shop owners in the area. Thus, out of around 300 people who draw ration from one shop, around 20 (6%), the very people who need it the most, are disadvantaged.
It is interesting that ration was being issued on the basis of biometrics captured by Government of Karnataka (GoK) to issue new ration cards, and not by adopting the Aadhaar biometric capture. That is, every ration card holder in Karnataka has to provide full biometrics to the GoK agency for ration even if he/she has already enrolled in Aadhaar. In another case, Shantha (name changed) of Paduvarahalli, Mysore, also a domestic worker known to this writer, has not received any PDS ration since the new ration cards came into use. Reason: The system was unable to capture her biometrics, and so she has no valid ration card. Thus the unreliability of biometrics both at the capturing and authentication stages, especially for the already disadvantaged, takes most of the wind out of the sails of governments' schemes that are touted to streamline the system and remove corruption. Indeed, Shantha already possesses an Aadhaar card, but that does her no good for PDS ration!
UIDAI's Proof of Concept Report (PoC) concerning biometrics states, "... although currently only fingerprint biometric is being offered ... it is likely that in the near future iris biometric authentication will also be supported." It concludes, "Low cost iris capture devices are becoming available in the market. A combination of fingerprint and iris is expected to improve accuracy by a factor of 10 to 100, while reducing failure to enrol (red fingers) rate by a factor of 10. A detailed study such as this should be done on iris authentication." Thus this report lends context to Mr. Nilekani's statement at the Centre for Global Development in Washington in April 2013, about having "created huge opportunity for fingerprint scanners, iris readers". [Usha Ramanathan; “Best finger first, but let's now scan the eye”; <http://www.thestatesman.net/news/4789-Best-finger-first—but-let-s-now-scan-the-eye.html>; The Statesman; July 10, 2013]. This leads one to wonder if making biometrics as the basis for identification was really to give a filip to the industries that produce the capture and authentication devices, and the batteries and inverters to provide backup power.
Rs.12,398 crores has been sanctioned by the union government for Aadhaar and similar amounts are being spent by state governments for their own schemes (example, GoK ration cards). It is unsurprising that governments are interested to spend huge sums, what with kickbacks etc. being the order of the day. With biometrics being essentially unreliable, and consequent dissatisfaction of the poorest people, it might appear that the CAG of ten years or so hence, will have his/her hands full!
** Major General S.G. Vombatkere retired as the Additional Director General, Discipline & Vigilance in Army HQ, New Delhi. The President of India awarded him the Visishta Seva Medal in 1993 for distinguished service rendered over 5 years in Ladakh. He holds a PhD degree in Structural Dynamics from IIT, Madras. He is Adjunct Associate Professor of the University of Iowa, USA, and is a member of NAPM and PUCL. He writes on strategic and development-related issues.
Contact details:
Maj Gen S.G.Vombatkere (Retd) /
E-mail: <sg9kere@live.com>
