New Delhi: Its almost three years since Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced an initiative termed as ‘Digital India’, and was pitched as an ambitious program to make our country advanced in terms of modernization with the country having a population of about 1 billion people.
From then onwards, the Indian Government abruptly invalidated about 86 percent of the cash in circulation, which is a move that would make the nation ‘cashless society’. But the step so taken took the nation by surprise in widespread panic and currency crisis. But the Government went on with their agenda and launched about a dozen apps to accompany various government programs. One such was to report authorities about any garbage pile up, another one for Indians to keep themselves updated regarding Modi’s speeches and more to that, one being launched for lost children.
The initiative Aadhaar, is an identification program that aims to collect Indian citizen’s information, such as fingerprints and retina scans, and store it in a database linked to every part of that person’s digital footprint like bank accounts numbers, cellphone details, income tax filings, voter IDs, ostensibly allowing the government to curb identity fraud and welfare corruption through fake means.
But since the time it was started, the program has proved to be troublesome, with privacy issues propping up now and then and also preventing thousands of people from receiving basic needs, such as food rations, pensions and fuel subsidies.
For a student like 10-year-old Nadini Singh, a clerical error on her ID card meant she will not be allowed to return school. She and her father, Netrapal, whose name is misspelled on her card, had to take a journey of an hour to a Delhi office of the Unique Identification Authority, which oversees Aadhaar data, to correct the mistake this month, waiting for many hours alongside a dozen other schoolchildren whose cards – were made when they were kids – had similar errors.
“If I don’t get Aadhaar, I won’t go to school,” said Nadini, perched on a metal chair outside the government office, half asleep in the afternoon heat. “And if I don’t go to school, I can’t become a doctor.”
Many others too had somewhat related problems like that. Kela Devi, who works at a government-run child-care center, was not able to receive her salary for eight months because of authentication problems with her card. Avdesh Yadav, 34, couldn’t access his bank account because his fingerprints were not being accepted by the bank’s machine. Madanlal Nanda, 74, broke started weeping when he explained that he had not received his pension for two months because his fingerprints, worn with age, wouldn’t register in the machines.
India’s Supreme Court is hearing all such cases challenging the biometric program. Some petitioners argue Aadhaar impinges on basic constitutional rights of privacy. Others argue that the initiative has led to needy people being excluded from welfare programs. One case suggests it could have resounding implications for other people of lower castes who could face further discrimination if biometrics are matched with surnames and addresses – often indicators of caste.
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