Bharat Rakshak

marten, If pilferage is the main concern, then why not use govt run NPR to prevent it, it has the added benefit of being proof of citizenship. Spending thousands of crores of rupees on UID with added security risks of data being spurious doesn't make sense.

Because NPR will take ten years and will not provide 100% coverage. It did not receive bids for nearly 40 circles. Why else do you think the compromise was achieved? They will reconcile the databases at some point after capturing a decent number of IDs - eliminating the impostors is easier once their biometrics have been captured and marked as illegal or non-citizen or suchlike. Using the biometric data in the right manner is definitely a governance issue. Capturing it is easier using a structured program, and then cleaning up the rolls of benefit recipients is up to good governance - the biggest difference being that UIDAI will capture it more efficiently and quicker (at 55-60, rather than 70 that NPR is expected to pay). We can use this data effectively, provided NPR and UIDAI move together. That is my hope though, time will bear out if the Govt. is indeed keen on using the program to reduce poverty and pilferage.

NPR could have been fast-tracked, slow pace of work is no reason to handover essentially govt work to private firms and share sensitive citizen data with them. UID data is basically junk due to the way its collected and if NPR is forced accept that data then it too will inherit UID flaws, sabotaging the whole citizen identify scheme. Reducing poverty and pilferage under the current multi-million scamster govt is essentially a pipe-dream.

UIDAI-Plan panel in a fresh row.

Row between Nandan Nilekani led Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) and the Planning Commission is not over with the former expressing its displeasure over allocation for the next financial year.

The Plan Panel had earlier objected to UIDAI’s move to collect biometric details of entire population saying it would lead to duplication of work as Home Ministry’s National Population Register (NPR) had a similar mandate.

The issue was resolved after a Cabinet Committee on UIDAI decided to split biometric collection of residents between the authority and NPR. After the Cabinet decision, plan panel deputy chairperson Montek Singh Ahluwalia had claimed that both the organizations --- UIDAI and NPR --- will work together to implement the decision.

The UIDAI has now charged the plan panel of putting a financial barrier to meet the target of enrolling additional 40 crore people by June next year.

The root of the dispute was the Plan Panel’s decision to allocate just Rs 1,750 crore to UIDAI for the financial year 2012-13. The authority had sought Rs 3,250 crore to ensure that it would be able to enroll a million people every day.

In a recent communiqué to the panel, the UIDAI had argued that the Cabinet Committee this January had approved an additional Rs 5,791 crore for the UIDAI project up to March 2017 and therefore, it should get adequate money to implement the project.

The UIDAI says the project is of vital importance to India as the government plans to replace indirect fuel and food subsidy with direct cash transfer to unique identification or Aadhaar number linked bank account of beneficiaries. Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee is expected to announce a scheme in this regard in the budget.

The plan panel is, however, not willing to buy the argument and had stuck with its initial allocation of Rs 1,750 crore. It says, if required, the unique identification authority can seek additional funding during supplementary grants decided in the winter session of Parliament.

The project aimed at providing an Aadhaar number to each resident in India by June next year would cost Rs 8,814 to the government. Of this, an allocation of Rs 3,023 crore has already been made to UIDAI.

IT vendors including Accenture-NEC, L1 ID and Mahindra Satyam-Morpho lock horns with Unique ID Authority



Fwiw, HCL won the MSP bid over TCS, and the value of the MSP contract is Rs 2,200 crore.

Aadhaar card scam unearthed in Hyderabad

Data point here is part about where the card could be used to obtain a passport -



Which essentially implies that the Aadhar card is also implementing a one-time amnesty scheme to regularise illegal immigrants.

^How can they obtain a passport using the card? Aadhaar is not a valid document for RPOs. Plus, even if they connected the systems, would the RPO staff not verify that the applicant does indeed have fingers and eyes? Remember biometric capture is a part of RPO process as well.

The scam related to enrollment is mostly about the supervisors enabling fraud by attempting to push through a few candidates for multiple cards. The Face data will be captured as duplicates during the automated/manual deduplication process which relies on Face if the other modalities are not present. In either case, benefits would not be receivable by these folks since they cannot be verified by any other means and would require specific approval for the same.

An anecdote, if you will.

In our house in India, my Father, Mother, Guards (X2), Maid and Drivers (X2) all applied at the same time for the UID card (July 2011). Went to the same center and stood in the same line.

My wife and I did the same 3 months later on trip to Desh.

The domestics received their UID cards in 3 months Flat (post Diwali 2011). They had very sketchy documents to back up their residency claims.

I got mine last week (May 2012) (Pan Number and Land line Bill in my name as proof). My Mother Father and wife still waiting.

Most people do not accept it as an identity card and it clearly says "proof of residency, not of citizenship".

What purpose is this ultimately going to serve? It is not even helping as a proof to get a new prepaid mobile phone number in Delhi.

^In welfare schemes, folks will not be able to use their finger/iris for more than one beneficiary account. Pilferage will reduce if implemented correctly, wouldn't you say? Think of the plan implementation in Governmental/Babu years, not human years. A delay of 6 months would be nothing in this context, if it saves even a measly 10K cr each year.

Aadhaar ID now for passports too

Since non-citizens can get Aadhar card, I believe the stage is being set for electoral fraud in coming elections. Once a non-citizen obtains a passport, they would be able to vote in elections as well.

Things may be even worse. I guess this is the clarion call for the Jehadis and other terrorists to get an Aadhar card, and use it to get an Indian Passport. And then they can literally 'blast-away'. The blame would be then on India, and become an embarrassment. Other countries like Pakistan, which has a label of "Exporter of Terrorists" can let a huge sigh of relief.

Babu years Liked the term. Time required for file to travel from one table to adjacent table.

A very shaky Aadhaar: http://www.niticentral.com/2013/02/24/a ... 49542.html

I am convinced that Indians can and will defeat any system through their dishonest attitude.

SSji,

The rot started when people of some communities complained that they do not have ration cards or any other identification documents. So it was recommended that they can get a signed affidavit from local MLA or gazetted officer or something like that.

Thus we created a scenario where real IDs are issued based on fake IDs.

I proposed a better approach a long time ago. Unfortunately the Neelekanis of this world are stupider than some random Internet-warriors....

If I remember it right, this was the case especially with Bangaldeshi illegal immigrants (who naturally are from "a specific communty"). The MLAs would give affidavit to any one, provided the vote comes to him. And if I am not mistaken the Passport authorities clearly said that this Aadhar-Vaadhar card would not be a proof for Passport applications. Passports would be issued in the current fashion, with a mandatory police verification.