12391 - Playing safe: SIM-Aadhaar linking to be fully automated - Economic Times

Playing safe: SIM-Aadhaar linking to be fully automated

By Aman Sharma, ET Bureau|

Nov 17, 2017, 06.57 AM IST

Now, there are two ways of verifying one’s SIM to Aadhaar that have been approved by Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI).

Related

• How to link mobile number to Aadhaar

People will need to go to the websites of telecom service providers (TSPs) or call up their phone helplines for getting a onetime password (OTP) to link their SIM to Aadhaar from December 1, in a process that will be totally automated and without any human intervention. 

These two ways of verifying one’s SIM to Aadhaar have been approved by Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) now. Earlier, the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) had proposed that citizens could also do the linking through OTP on sending as SMS to a number provided by the telecom operator but UIDAI did not find the same “safe”, and has proposed that the linking must be done by generating an OTP either by logging onto the TSP’s website or placing a call to the latter’s phone helpline, a senior government official told ET. Also, one needs to have a mobile number registered with Aadhaar to go through either of the two processes – or you will need to first visit an Aadhaar Centre to update your mobile number in Aadhaar records. 

On the web portal, a resident will first enter the mobile number which he needs to re-verify. The TSP will generate an OTP on the entered mobile number which the person will enter on the website. “This will confirm that the mobile to be re-verified is available with the resident,” as per UIDAI. A consent message, as per Aadhaar Act, will be displayed on the website and resident will enter his Aadhaar number after checking the consent box. 

The TSP will generate an OTP request to UIDAI and the resident will then get an OTP on the number he already has registered with Aadhaar, which he will enter to re-verify his SIM with Aadhaar. Aadhaar number entered on TSP’s website will be masked and encrypted during transmission to UIDAI. The process will be similar if a person calls up the TSP’s IVR helpline from the number he wishes to re-verify. The IVR will play a consent message to him before a person enters his Aadhaar number and then receives an OTP on his Aadhaar registered mobile number. He will subsequently enter this OTP on the IVR. 

“The IVR language should be in English, Hindi and other regional languages of the respective states/circles,” UIDAI has said. TSPs have been asked to ensure the security of voice channels, keep the process completely automated, ensure the security provided is at par with security of banking transactions through IVR and also make sure that the application that interacts with the IVR masks or encrypts the Aadhaar number as soon as it is received by the application, for ensuring robust security and secrecy of Aadhaar number. 

“TSPs will ensure that Aadhaar number is not accessible the operator’s customer relationship executives,” UIDAI has said. 

Regarding the website, operators have been asked to ensure the same is secure against known cyber-attacks and are secured through certificates. “TSP’s must ensure that they have Service Engine Optimisation services for their websites and their sites feature on top during Google searches. If TSPs can provide these services through a user name and password authentication which may already exist on their websites for customers, this will further enhance the security,” the UIDAI has said.

12343 - Threat on the phone (also why linking Aadhar data is a terrible idea

Threat on the phone (also why linking Aadhar data is a terrible idea)

Sukesh ( name Changed)

So I just got a threat on the phone (also why linking Aadhar data is a terrible idea). Might be a bit long but please read carefully lest it happen to you as well:

So I just got a call from a random cell phone number in Delhi. The man asked if this was Mr. Sukesh. When I said yes, he said he's calling from "Master Visa Credit Card" and said my bank is offering me some benefits. When I asked him "what bank are you calling from?" he says "Nope, I'm not calling from a bank. I'm calling from your card issuer "Master Visa".

It, obviously, sounded like a fraud and I wanted to know what exactly their modus operandi was so I kept talking. He went on narrating a few "benefits" and then asked if I understood what he'd said. Then he said he was going to transfer my call to an IVR line for some details. It didn't seem to work for some reason so I said I'm not interested anymore. He suddenly said "You can't back out now because you're going to be charged 8000 rupees on your next card statement. I laughed and asked him why he was calling from a cell phone if he represents a legit company. He said "I'll call you back from a landline".

He called me from a landline immediately. Then he said the name of his company is "Easypay" and is based out of Sigore Garden, New Delhi. So I went ahead and asked him how he was planning to charge my credit card. He said "it happens through an IVR. Do you know what an IVR is?" At this point I couldn't control my laughter. I said "Dude I know this is a fraud. I'm not interested and you'd better not do this again".

He flares up. I mean he literally starts screaming. And then he says in Hindi "rukh. Tujhe dekh loonga. Tujhe dikhaata hun main kaun hun" (Just wait. I'll fix you. I'll show you who I am"). I laughed and asked him to keep talking. He said he's gonna hang up now and I'm now gonna have to bear the consequences.

The cell phone number was +91-9911 229859 and the dude's name was Praveen. The landline number was 011-4015 8025. I tried calling back on both numbers and the cell phone is switched off and the landline says its busy. A little bit of snooping showed me that there's indeed some credit card agency contracted by banks operating out of a flat in Sigore Gardens in New Delhi called "Easy Pay 4 U".

THIS is why linking Aadhar to your bank accounts is dangerous. Why? Because banks in India irresponsibly share your personal information with the dodgiest of crooks. This man knew my name. Who knows what other personal info he has? If this is the level of data protection in India, then God bless us all because it doesn't take much for someone to find out your address, your details, and then do whatever they wish to do with you.

The fact that random fraudsters have our personal details and blatantly threaten us with violence on the phone is a matter of grave concern. I don't even know if this was a mere financial fraud or something more sinister. The Government of India needs to answer how our personal info has suddenly become accessible to such criminals. In addition, the govt. now wants you to link your Aadhar with cell phones and everything else. Is the government waiting for a disaster to happen before it takes serious note of data privacy?????

I usually don't ask this but I'd really like if you'd share this. This is a case of someone accessing my personal data through a service provider and issuing a threat on the phone. Considering the audacity of these criminals, the government needs to wake up before these people hurt someone.

12338 - What You Need To Worry About Before Linking Your Mobile Number With Aadhaar - Youth Ki Avaaz

What You Need To Worry About Before Linking Your Mobile Number With Aadhaar

Posted by Roopa Sudarshan in Society November 8, 2017

By Roopa Raju and Shekhar Rai:

As part of the directive issued by the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) dated March 23, 2017, major telecom service providers have issued a deadline of February 6, 2018, for linking mobile numbers with Aadhaar as part of the E-KYC verification.

The landmark case referenced by the DoT in the circular was the order issued by the Supreme Court on February 6, 2017, delivered by Justice JS Khehar (the erstwhile Chief Justice of India) in the case of Lokniti Foundation vs Union of India.  The petitioner contended that terrorists, criminals and anti-social elements frequently used SIM cards to commit atrocious, organised and unorganised crimes across the country. The petition called for ensuring 100% verification on the identity of telecom service subscribers in public interest under Article 32 of the Constitution of India. The PIL added that unverified SIM cards pose a serious threat to the country’s security as they are routinely used  in criminal and terrorist activities, thereby affecting a citizen’s right (as ensured under Article 21 of the Constitution). As per the CAG report tabled at the Parliament in 2014, the identities of 4.59 crore mobile users still remained unverified.

Article 21 of the Constitution of India, 1949, states that – “No person shall be deprived of his life or personal liberty except according to procedure established by law.” While there is a threat to the common public interest through increased acts of terrorism and atrocities due to unverified SIM cards, the safety of information provided and linked to Aadhaar are increasingly being questioned.

In a study dated May 1, 2017, published by the Centre for Internet and Society (CIS), a Bangalore-based organisation, it was observed that data of over 130 million Aadhaar card-holders were leaked from just four government portals dealing with the National Social Assistance programme, the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme, the Chandranna Bima Scheme and the Daily Online Payment Reports of NREGA.

On October 25, 2017, the chief minister of West Bengal, Mamata Banerjee, also strongly opposed the government’s plan to link mobile numbers with Aadhaar cards. She said that it was a breach of privacy and that the ruling government was intruding upon the citizen’s right to personal freedom. However, the Supreme Court questioned the state government’s right to challenge the Centre and asked her to file a plea with the court in her individual capacity.

As per the data published by Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) on September 14, 2017, India’s telecom subscriber base dipped by 1.3 lakh to 121.07 crore in July 2017. Moreover, only three operators – Reliance Jio, Bharti Airtel and the state-run BSNL – reported additions to their subscriber base.

Month Telephone subscriber base (in million) Growth rate Mar-17 1194.58 – Apr-17 1198.89 0.36% May-17 1204.98 0.51% Jun-17 1210.84 0.49% Jul-17 1210.71 -0.01% (Source: TRAI monthly subscription data) The dip in the subscriber count for various telecom operators can be accredited to the phasing of registration of SIM cards through E-KYC for new mobile numbers. While there is a the possibility of addition of genuine subscribers in the following months, the direct subscriber acquisition cost (DSAC) has been significantly reduced owing to the overall reduction in subscriber addition (assuming exclusion of sunk cost). Prior to the DoT directive, telecom service providers relied heavily on the documents provided by the subscribers for SIM registration. The two-fold impact of this was the delay in SIM activation, owing to the transfer of documents from the retailer to the distributor to the company and the possibility of documents not matching with the usage timeline of usage.  Additionally, tracking the ever-changing retailers was difficult for the service providers – and with the subscriber documents being collected and stored at one location by the service providers, verification of dummy subscribers was difficult. With the introduction of Aadhaar linkage for mobile numbers, subscribers are held accountable for its usage, thereby tagging responsibility for any acts arising as a result. Savings from the digitisation of documents and paper should also be considered. However, an increased number of job losses is possible, owing to the ‘optimisation’ of the process by way of document verification, servicing costs and reliance on third parties (to name just a few). Increased compliance costs are also an issue of concern. The key question that looms prominently with the approaching deadline is how secure public data will be, given that it may possibly be linked with bank account numbers and income tax returns. With retailers using fingerprints of the subscribers to validate Aadhaar numbers with the mobile numbers at the time of SIM registration, there is an increased risk of exposure to identity theft. While the government is increasingly trying to bring in a seamless process to assimilate data for transparency in analysing consumer patterns, it is suggested that they also allocate funds for enhancing the cyber-security of the data consolidated from this directive. Furthermore, cyber security regulations can be strengthened to avoid data leakages to third party organisations. Severe penalties should also be implemented to ensure robust compliance to these measures. Featured image used for representative purposes only. Featured image source: Soumitra Ghosh/Hindustan Times via Getty Images

8863 - SC refuses to expand uses of Aadhaar card - Deccan Herald

SC refuses to expand uses of Aadhaar card

NEW DELHI, OCt 08, 2015, DHNS

Constitution Bench to hear pleas by govt agencies

The Supreme Court on Wednesday refused to oblige multifarious government agencies and regulatory authorities by passing any order to expand the use of Aadhaar card for other than LPG and PDS schemes.

Their requests would be decided by a Constitution Bench, it said. A three-judge bench presided over by Justice J Chelameswar said a batch of PILs challenging the validity of the Aadhaar card for being repugnant with right to privacy has already been referred to the Constitution Bench for adjudication.

The applications filed by the UIDAI, Trai, IRDA, Sebi, RBI, Pension Fund Regulatory Authority and different state governments would also be considered by the Constitution Bench, the court said.

The government is likely to urge the Chief Justice of India (CJI) to set up a Constitution Bench in view of the order which came as a setback to it. On Tuesday, the matter was  mentioned before the bench presided over by CJI H L Dattu, who said it was difficult to spare seven judges at the moment for the Constitution Bench.

After hearing arguments a day before, the bench, also comprising Justice S A Bobde and Justice C Nagappan, had put the matter for passing order on Wednesday, also on the issue of maintainability of those modification pleas. The same bench had on August 11 referred the PILs, including one filed by former Karnataka HC judge Justice K S Puttaswamy, to a Constitution Bench of appropriate strength to determine the legal issue if the right to privacy was a fundamental right.

The court had then also directed the government to ensure that the Aadhaar card is not made mandatory for citizens to avail any benefit. It had also ordered that the card would not be used for any purposes other than linking it to PDS and LPG cylinders

However, the UIDAI, Trai, IRDA, Sebi, RBI, Pension Fund Regulatory Authority and different state governments, including, Jharkhand, Haryana and Rajasthan, sought modification of the order, saying if the starving poor voluntarily came forward for the Aadhaar, it should be allowed to be used.

The Trai claimed the card issued by the UIDAI should be permitted to be used as valid document for purchasing SIM cards in order to obviate any possibility of the mobile phone being used by terrorists.

The Sebi also claimed the use of the card would help in curbing use of black money in stock market.
  

5936 - DoT asks telecom companies to collect 'Aadhaar' number for issuing new SIMs - Economic Times

DoT asks telecom companies to collect 'Aadhaar' number for issuing new SIMs

PTI Nov 2, 2014, 12.03PM IST

NEW DELHI: Department of Telecom (DoT) has asked all mobile operators to collect 'Aadhaar' number along with customer application form for issuing new connections and store the unique identification number in their database.

The DoT has also asked the operators to amend their database in two months for adding the 'Aadhaar' number.

"It has been decided to collect Aadhaar number along with customer application form (CAF) of mobile telephone applications and store the same in the database along with other data," DoT sources said.

Sources added that the directive will be applicable in all cases irrespective of the fact that mobile connection is issued by taking 'Aadhaar' card or any other document as proof of identity and proof of address.

The government is also working with all stakeholders in resolving the issue regarding use of 'Aadhaar' card as a proof of address for procuring new SIM cards in its proposed online verification system.

"The issue regarding use of Aadhaar card as proof of address for procuring new SIM cards in its proposed online verification will be in place in next two months," Department of Electronics and IT (DeitY) Secretary R S Sharma said last week.

The Home Ministry had raised multiple concerns over using UIDAI number as an address proof in the DoT's proposed online verification system, citing possible issues in the supporting Aadhaar data.

The Home Ministry had raised concerns over supporting documents submitted by people as proof of identity and proof of address for getting a 'Aadhaar' number, sources had said.

The DoT is working on a concept to use 'Aadhaar' number for online verification of people seeking mobile connections along with existing process of customer verification.

'Aadhaar' card can be also issued to foreign nationals staying in the country. This had also been questioned by the Home Ministry fearing nationals of neighbouring country could attempt to use it to procure Indian identity documents for infiltration.

The Home Ministry had said that unlike 'Aadhaar', other acceptable proof of address documents such as passport, driving licence do not have the status of universality and therefore "even higher levels of error in these documents may not translate into comparable volume of security concerns".

The Home Ministry had also raised concern over involvement of foreign vendors by UIDAI for storing data and has suggested audit of data security.

5923 - Centre terms linking mobile numbers to Aadhaar an incentive - The Hindu

Centre terms linking mobile numbers to Aadhaar an incentive

The Centre will start linking of mobile SIM cards with Aadhaar numbers in the next two months which would be an incentive for subscribers as they can avail a host of services. File photo

The Centre will start linking of mobile SIM cards with Aadhaar numbers in the next two months which would be an incentive for subscribers as they can avail a host of services, a top government official said.

The linking of Aadhaar number with mobile SIM cards would enable the subscribers to use a host of services including financial transactions.

The government does not intend to make the process mandatory and wants to create a secure eco-system.

The government wants to undertake seeding of mobile SIMs with Aadhaar numbers to deal with misuse of technology for diversion of subsidies, various criminal acts including terrorism and extortion as well as for making financial transactions on mobile more fool proof and robust.

“Whichever telephone gets linked to Aadhaar, the user can actually use it to participate in all transactions. So once we enable this to happen, it is as good as giving a finger print. Then people will be enabled to do transactions. So, we are not mandating it, but at the same time we are creating a system where people are incentivised to do this,” Department of Electronics and IT (DeitY) Secretary R.S. Sharma told PTI on the sidelines of a NASSCOM event in Bangalore.

Earlier, during the UPA regime, the government’s plan to make Aadhaar-linked bank account mandatory for getting cooking gas subsidy hit a road block. The project’s implementation was suspended after the apex court’s interim order.

The Supreme Court had observed that government cannot deny any benefit to citizens simply because somebody does not have Aadhaar.

As per experts, the Court’s view was appropriate as coverage under the Aadhaar project was low at that time.

At present, the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) has issued Aadhaar numbers to over 70 crore residents in the country.

“The issue regarding use of Aadhaar card as proof of address for procuring new SIM cards in its proposed online verification will be in place in next two months,” the IT secretary said.

Asked how many SIM cards would be linked to the Aadhaar, Mr. Sharma said: “I can’t predict as how this will grow. That I can’t predict, but the system will be in place.”

He added the department is “working on various models and it has produced an architecture document and given for public consultation on various platforms including MyGov.”

“We are calling for ideas of how this can be architected, and once those ideas come and we are able to finalise on architecture, we will go into it,” he added.

MyGov is a website launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and helps citizens to contribute in governance by giving their opinions and views on important issues.

Earlier, the Union Home Ministry had raised concerns over the use of Aadhaar number as a single source of identity verification.

However, recently the Ministry supported the Aadhaar scheme saying it will facilitate “anytime, anywhere, anyhow” authentication to its beneficiaries.

Mr. Sharma said 700 million people are already having Aadhaar as on October 28, 2014 and the Prime Minister has directed the department to ensure everyone has it by the end of next year.

5922 - Seeding of mobile SIMs with Aadhaar an incentive: Official - Economic Times

Seeding of mobile SIMs with Aadhaar an incentive: Official

PTI Oct 30, 2014, 03.46PM IST

BANGALORE: Government will start linking of mobile SIM cards with Aadhaar number in the next two months which would be an incentive for subscribers as they can avail a host of services, a top government official said.

The linking of Aadhaar number with mobile SIM cards would enable the subscribers to use a host of services including financial transactions.

The government does not intend to make the process mandatory and wants to create a secure eco-system.

Government wants to undertake seeding of mobile SIMs with Aadhaar numbers to deal with misuse of technology for diversion of subsidies, various criminal acts including terrorism and extortion as well as for making financial transactions on mobile more fool proof and robust.

"Whichever telephone gets linked to Aadhaar, the user can actually use it to participate in all transactions. So once we enable this to happen, it is as good as giving a finger print.

Then people will be enabled to do transactions. So, we are not mandating it, but at the same time we are creating a system where people are incentivised to do this," Department of Electronics and IT (DeitY) Secretary R S Sharma told PTI on the sidelines of a NASSCOM event here.

Earlier, during the UPA regime, the government's plan to make Aadhaar linked bank account mandatory for getting cooking gas subsidy hit a road block. The project's implementation was suspended after the apex court's interim order.

The Supreme Court had observed that government cannot deny any benefit to citizens simply because somebody does not have Aadhaar.

As per experts, the Court's view was appropriate as coverage under the Aadhaar project was low at that time

At present, the Unique Identification Authority of India ( UIDAI) has issued Aadhaar numbers to over 70 crore residents in the country.

"The issue regarding use of Aadhaar card as proof of address for procuring new SIM cards in its proposed online verification will be in place in next two months," the IT secretary said.

Asked how many SIM cards would be linked to the Aadhaar, Sharma said: "I can't predict as how this will grow. That I can't predict, but the system will be in place."

He added the department is "working on various models and it has produced an architecture document and given for public consultation on various platforms including MyGov."

"We are calling for ideas of how this can be architected, and once those ideas come and we are able to finalise on architecture, we will go into it," he added.

5910 - Modi government to link mobile SIM with Aadhaar - India Today

Modi government to link mobile SIM with Aadhaar

IndiaToday.in  New Delhi, October 27, 2014 | UPDATED 15:10 IST

The central goverment is working towards the linking of the mobile SIM with Unique Identification (UID) number or Aadhaar card.

"The prime minister (Narendra Modi) has directed us to link the SIM of the mobiles with the Unique Id. We are working on that issue and I am sure we will be able to resolve issues," said R.S. Sharma, secretary of the Department of Electronics and Information Technology.

"The idea is the mobile should become a very very strong factor in authentication and also a factor for getting information and transaction. If that happens, then it will an enable and empowering tool for the people of India," he said.

Sharma was speaking to reporters on the sidelines of an event oragnised by Federation of Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) and the Communications and Information Technology Ministry.

He said the secretary of the department of telecom is having deliberations with various departments to facilitate the work of linking mobile SIM with Aadhaar cards. This project is a part of the Digital India programme.

"The programme that has been envisaged by Digital India will boost more ecommerce in India. We are standing in the cusp of digital revolution," Sharma said.

Speaking about his recent visit to South Korea, Sharma said: "We went to South Korea to promote domestic manufacturing of electronics in the country."

"As you know, the government has come up with a policy that gives a lot of financial incentives - both in terms of taxes and also in terms of investment incentives to establish industry - both for individuals as also for clusters."

"So, we had gone to South Korea to meet with the industry leaders there," Sharma said.

"Specifically, we met LG and Samsung and number of other industrial leaders and we emphasised to them that it will make sense to produce in India not only for domestic market, which is so huge, but also to export from India to other neighbouring countries," he said.

Sharma added that the companies have all formulated groups "which will come here and they will interact with us".

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Read more at: http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/modi-government-to-link-mobile-sim-with-aadhaar/1/397734.html

5827 - Digitial India to 100 Smart cities: How Modi govt is riding the tech wave By Firstbiz Staff - First Post

Digitial India to 100 Smart cities: How Modi govt is riding the tech wave

By Firstbiz Staff 

Narendra Modi is arguably India’s most tech-savvy prime minister and also someone whose every public move is tracked by citizens using technology-driven social media. As his election campaign showed, Modi knows how to use technology to build perceptions, and also feed the country and media about his views and visions using technology.

Now having spent 100 days in office as India’s 15th Prime Minister, it’s clear that he hopes to achieve his promise of bringing ‘achche din’ for the masses through faster development, by leveraging technology heavily. And here’s a recap on how technology has and will be the foundation for much of what Modi seeks to do in his time in office as India’s Prime Minister.

Digital India

The ‘Digital India’ plan is the first tech-driven project that has received the Union Cabinet’s approval. This pan-India programme aims to promote digital inclusion with broadband connectivity down to the village level, thereby enabling improved access to services through IT-enabled platforms. The Rs 1.13-lakh crore initiative will not just provide last mile internet connectivity, but also offer better access to government services, as well as empower IT skills development of local talent. The initiative, which is expected to be completed in phased manner, will be supported by 20- and 40-hour modules on digital literacy in regional languages.

The Department of Telecommunication aims to complete setting up of a pan-India optic-fibre network by June 2016, which is critical to the 'Digital India' initiative. The timeline is much ahead of the earlier deadline of 2017. It must be noted here though the optic-fibre network project was kick-started by the previous UPA government.

DoT is also preparing a Cabinet note on linking the Aadhaar unique identity card number and SIM-card numbers of mobile users. It will also set up a mechanism to meet the target of providing Wi-Fi services in cities with a population of more than 1 million. Major tourist centres would also be covered under this programme.

In another big push towards digitisation, the NDA government now aims to offer each citizen with a ‘digital cloud’. This would allow every citizen to store all their original documents at one place. Certificates issued by the government — educational, residential, medical records, birth certificates etc — are to be stored in individual 'digital lockers' and a communication protocol established for government departments to access them without physically having to see the hard copy. However, this project also seems to be taking off from the UPA government's work to move critical information infrastructure on a national cloud ‘Megh Raj’ -- which was launched in February by former Union IT minister Kapil Sibal.

Bringing Aadhar back to life

Despite his campaign promises, Modi has given a decisive push to the UPA government’s flagship Aadhaar unique identity project which is driven by technology. Modi sought a 100-crore enrolment target under Aadhaar at the earliest, from the current 70 crore enrolment number achieved. The new government is pushing legislation to ensure legal sanctity to the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) which issues Aadhar numbers. According to a Times of India report, the government is expected to soon approach the Supreme Court and seek vacation of the stay on the government's move to make Aadhaar mandatory for availing benefits of welfare schemes.

Giving clear signals that the new government is not putting the Aadhaar scheme on the backburner, the Modi government’s first Budget allocation of around Rs 2,039 crore has been provided for UIDAI in the current fiscal.

100 Smart Cities

This one seems to be Modi's favourite initiative and has technology vendors salivating at the prospects. The Prime Minister has announced plans of developing 100 smart cities in India. With a Rs 7,060 crore allocation in the Budget, the smart cities initiative has garnered the maximum attention from the IT sector as this project will rely heavily on technology because smart cities are technology-driven. In fact, market research firm IDC expects a minimum of Rs 2,000 crore flowing into the technology sector on the back of the ‘smart cities’ initiative.

The smart city concept, however, is not new in the country as there are several independent projects already underway. These include Lavasa, built by HCC as a Smart City near Pune. Also, German multinational SAP is partnering with the Bhopal Municipal Corporation (BMC) to automate and centralize public service offerings and to make Bhopal a smart city of sorts (SAP has already brought in technology into Mumbai’s civic body MCGM), and US-based Cisco Systems working to turn the Electronics City in Bangalore into a Smart City. Another project that has caught everyone’s imagination is Gujarat’s Dholera smart city, whose construction has already been put on fast track. In fact, the state government is all set to invite bids for investment there.

The concept may have been cheered by all and will be technology-driven, but the irony is that no concrete plans have been revealed yet, though Rs 7060 crore has been allocated in the Budget.

But just before completing 100 days in office Modi played a masterstroke on the 99th day by signing a smart city pact with Japanese PM Shinzo Abe. The MoU signed between the two aims to turn Varanasi into a smart city with help from Kyoto. Under the smart heritage cities programme, Kyoto will provide cooperation in the fields of conservation and modernisation of cities, as well as art, culture and academics.

“The Prime Minister is keen on rejuvenating Indian cities as urban centres, and Kyoto is a magnificent example of how a city preserves its cultural heritage while modernising itself. It, therefore, dovetails into PM’s own emphasis on rejuvenation of cities in India while preserving their cultural heritage as also his focus on what is widely known as ‘smart cities’. Kyoto, in the Japanese lexicon, is known as a smart city which is environmentally friendly, which preserves its heritage and which is at the cutting-edge of technology. All these three are important in PM’s vision of rejuvenating our cities,” Syed Akbaruddin, spokesperson for the Ministry of External Affairs, said. Under the MoU, a detailed roadmap of cooperation will be prepared which will form the base for further understanding.

A 100-day period may be a bit too short to deliver on the technology front, but Modi has definitely made a tech-enabled beginning which hopefully should bear fruit in the coming months and years.