Future Designer, Professor, Thought Leader
Aadhaar enrollment was completely outsourced to private parties with the sole aim of building the world’s largest biometric database.
Apr 11, 2017, 12.18 AM IST
In a recent interview with Vir Sanghvi, Nandan Nilekani said that getting Aadhaar was not like getting AIDS. I’m not sure if Mr. Nilekani knows that Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) is the inability to recognise the self from non-self. The result is the body produces antibodies (protective mechanism) against itself.
Getting Aadhaar is very much like getting AIDS. The government can no longer distinguish citizens from residents. It cannot distinguish legal residents from illegal residents. As in the failure of an immune system to recognise a foreign invasion from the self, the government makes more and more uses of Aadhaar mandatory loosing reason and ability to protect citizens and ensuring their well being.
What Mr. Nilekani fails to state is the difference between the enrolment and use models of the Aadhaar in comparison with any other ID that make it eerily like AIDS.
Aadhaar enrolment was completely outsourced to private parties with the sole aim of building the world’s largest biometric database.
Needless to say anyone in possession of your documents could enroll with minor changes in any demographic information. Field stories of enrolments are full with descriptions of biometric “jugaad” including using combination of persons, use of biometric masks, biometric modifications, and other ingenious methods to maximize registrations. The Aadhaar enrolment has been unlike that of any other identity document, easily scaling the creation of duplicate and ghost identities.
Unlike the Passport Officer, the RTO, the Electoral Officer, the CEO of UIDAI does not take any legal liability to certify the number as a proof of anyone’s identity, address or existence. Furthermore no one has verified or audited the database to establish how many of the billion numbers that are linked to data submitted by the outsourced parties are real individuals.
The resulting Aadhaar database is the database being used to “purify”, as described by Ajay Bhushan Pandey the CEO of UIDAI, all databases that are seeded with Aadhaar. The seeding of other databases with the Aadhaar number is also unlike any other identification document. This seeding threatens to exclude the genuine and include the fake into other existing databases by seeding Aadhaar to other databases. The case of over 13,000 fake employees in Satyam’s who got salaries every month for years before being exposed is still fresh in India.
As the government embarks to link the entire Consolidated Fund of India’s receipts and expenditure to this database, is it not reasonable to establish some CAG certificate on the existence of every person in this database?
Mr. Nilekani has often highlighted the use of biometric to authenticate who you are as the core strength of the Aadhaar database. What he fails to state is that even if biometric could uniquely establish your identity uniquely throughout your life, which it cannot, its use for authentication is absurd.
Once stolen, your biometric can be used, in a multiple of ways differing in simplicity and ease, by the thief, to perpetuate crimes that will be attributed to you and may be difficult, if not impossible, for you to deny.
It is precisely this difference between the enrolment and use models of the Aadhaar in comparison with any other ID are a threat to you as well as the nation.
Here are just 5 reasons, that follow from these differences and you may not have heard of, why the continued use of Aadhaar is a threat to you.
One, all your rights, benefits and entitlements will be subject to your Aadhaar working and not being disabled by intention or error. Already huge number of those who have an Aadhaar have been denied their rights, benefits or entitlements for these reasons. To date more than 85 lakh Aadhaar numbers have been disabled by the UIDAI without assigning reasons.
Two, those without an Aadhaar are being treated as unequals, often with denial to their rights, entitlements and benefits. For example the IT department does not process the returns or refunds of non-Aadhaar taxpayers in the same way as those of persons with an Aadhaar.
Three, Aadhaar will be a single point of failure to declare your "civil death”. This means you will be removed from all government registers and cease to exist as far as the government is concerned.
Four, Aadhaar will turn the government official to your master, rather than being your servant. Anytime, even when not needed, you could be asked for Aadhaar or your authentication be sabotaged to deny you dignity and equality besides your entitlements.
Five, Aadhaar will be the single point for fraudsters to hack your identity, commit crime and rob you of your property, dignity, liberty, equality and access to justice. Bank accounts opened using your Aadhaar, property transactions, purchases, registration of contracts in your identity will no longer be in your control or with your knowledge and traceability. Because the use of your stored biometric in these instances will leave little deniability, if you are accused of these acts, it will destroy your right to justice.
Here are just 5 reasons why the continued use of Aadhaar is a threat to the nation.
One, Aadhaar allows terrorists, criminals to create millions of fake identities, duplicates and use them to park black money, park bribes, finance terror and siphon subsidies and funds from the Consolidated Fund of India. The Aadhaar is not certified by any government official. The Aadhaar database has never been verified or audited by anyone.
Two, Aadhaar allows infiltration of the country, even its defence services, with terrorists and anti-nationals causing a national security threat.
Three, Aadhaar destroys our ability to distinguish a citizen from an illegal immigrant. All documents like passport, drivers licenses etc can be obtained by using Aadhaar that can be illegally obtained with fake documents. It is therefore like the disease AIDS for the country.
Four, Politically exposed persons can be framed of crimes, by using their stored biometric and Aadhaar, that have no deniability. This will be a way to disable judges from granting justice, politicians from contesting elections, and industrialists from retaining business control.
Five, Aadhaar can change voting lists, voter preferences and provide such controls through outsourcing and privatisation of enrolment and authentication to “interests” within or outside the country thus destroying the sovereignty of the people, the democratic process and the republic of India.
What is the life situation where you cannot be identified by your own assertion of who you are? What is the life situation where you can't be identified by an introduction from a common friend? What is the life situation where you cannot be identified from the photograph on an id issued to you by the very agency that issued you the photo id?
Are fait acompli of having created a billion numbers, huge sums having been spent reasons enough to continue to flog a program that is endangering you and India alike?
DISCLAIMER: The views expressed are solely of the author and ETtech.com does not necessarily subscribe to it. ETtech.com shall not be responsible for any damage caused to any person/organisation directly or indirectly.
About Anupam Saraph
Dr. Anupam Saraph is a renowned expert in governance of complex systems and advises governments and businesses across the world.
