Nandan Nilekani has pulled it off. Well, almost. In another six months he would have quit while he was ahead, after having enrolled 600 million Indians (and possibly some non-Indians) into the world’s largest and most audacious government ID project, the Unique Identification Authority of India’s (UIDAI) Aadhaar.
Nilekani phrases it diplomatically: “As John Kingdon [a widely-respected professor of political science at the University of Michigan] describes it, three streams—problem, solution and a compelling political need—need to converge before a ‘policy window’ opens up. The problem was the need for large-scale social inclusion and for making public spending more transparent. The solution was Aadhaar. The government put political energy behind it and gave full support.”
Re-imagining Welfare
Usha Ramanathan finds this alarming: “What is happening in the Registrar General’s office is scandalous. This year, the Socio Economic and Caste Census will have the UID number attached, allowing for profiling of respondents. What happened to the idea of anonymising and protecting citizens?” Effectively, she says, the NPR is “currently collecting biometric data from citizens without a law, simply because no one is stopping them”.
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(This story appears in the 18 October, 2013 issue of Forbes India. To visit our Archives, click here.)
Aadhar card is becoming the De facto identity card in India. All the LPG subsidy are driven using the Aadhar card. Government has also announced rs 71 thousand crore loan to be disbursed under the Mudra scheme which could be done only because of Aadhar card.
on Jan 24, 2016Aadhaar Card has been instrumental in implementing many government schemes in India. Aadhaar card makes it almost impossible for anybody to cheat the system and thus benefits like subsidies are passed in the right had without any corruption. Supreme court now is playing the spoiler as it is not allowing government to make aadhaar card mandatory. Government is spending lot of money in schemes likes Mudra loan and these schemes would only be beneficial in Aadhar card is made mandatory.
on Jan 5, 2016It should have been Cititizenship ID Card. Then it would have been seriously completed within 2 years. instead of providing the contract to private company govt. of India has to do it own.
on Dec 2, 2015Aadhar card is a joke and government have wasted millions of Rupee on it without any clear vision, Corruption is the biggest problem in India
on Sep 22, 2015At any moment the Govt. knows of our geographical location, what we are talking on phone with whom, what we are reading, writing or watching on internet, and what TV channel we watch when and for how long (it is the source of TRP data) thru the service provider
on Sep 19, 2015This PIN is unique due to bio-metrics and verifiable online within 10 seconds. It can be allocated to all residents walkin for fresher of India - whether citizens or foreign nationals
on Sep 19, 2015It should have been Cititizenship ID Card. Then it would have been seriously completed within 2 years. Now it has completed 30% in 5 years. Adhaar sounds like freebie given by govt
on May 2, 2015yes, i can see above jokes and also on aadhar cards. But as i can see UID is not so as Indian Government Thinks about it. Well i\'ve tried for it and also get some information on Aadhar Card as listed below. http://www.sarkarinaukricareer.in/2015/01/how-to-apply-for-aadhar-card-online.html
on Feb 12, 2015this is one most ambitious project from the Manmohan Sigh Government and looks pretty promising in easing out identity crisis in India. Government have spent a lot of money on Subsidy but rather than reaching the hands of the needy poor people it has been taken away by the middle men. The combined effort of UID an Jan Dhan Yojana is gone make sure that the money spent by the government reaches the right hand. http://www.trafficchallan.co.in/how-to-register-apply-aadhar-card-online/
on Nov 26, 2014Haha, Nandan Nilekani will fight elections on the basis of the success of his Aadhar programme...SUCCESS...BIG JOKE...I call up the aadhar center executive Vikin listed at http://www.myaadhaarcard.in/aadhaar-centre-2/list-of-aadhaar-enrollment-centres-in-gurgaon-haryana/#comment-44196 today for a small query...and they say "Bhai mai baat karne k mood mei nahi hu" Kudos Nilekani... at B for your electoral debut... Fact check Forbes... if this is the experience of someone sitting in NCR, what will be the fate of people across small centers in the country...and what about the remaining 600m people? Your article is like you're giving an 'exceptional' grade to a student for 50% marks
on Feb 22, 2014instead of providing the project to private company ,why government of India is not trying to develop this large project by its own department/recruiting it professionals for the project which gives a large job base and internal software efficiency to government bodies to completely depend on it services at lowest cost and providing employment to unemployed professional on permanent basis which provides security to India nationals .is there any scam running behind the project . is the government is simply trying to waste indians money.
on Nov 3, 2013Dear Srinivas, why don\'t you understand first about what is Aadhar and what the oeverall scheme. Don\'t jump here and there it won\'t fetch you anything.
on Jul 9, 2014Benefits: Aadhaar is a Personal Identification Number (PIN). This PIN is unique due to bio-metrics and verifiable online within 10 seconds. It can be allocated to all residents of India – whether citizens or foreign nationals (Indians on work visa also get Social Security Number in USA). Aadhaar information can be used for effective Planning
on Nov 2, 2013British PM Winston Churchill had said in 1940s that Goons will rule India if we free them now. That became 100% true.
on Nov 2, 2013Identity Frauds: Identity frauds such as Identity-theft (someone else using identity of another person – dead or alive) and Fictitious Identity (fake IDs created on fictitious person, also called benami) has been a common practice in India. The scan, super-impose, color-print functions of ubiquitous printers have made paper-based
on Nov 2, 2013Illegal Migrants: Let us assume there are maximum 3 million Illegal Migrants (Bangladeshi, Paki, Sri Lankan, Burmese etc.) since the year 1980. It makes only 0.25% of our 1.2 billion population. Quarter percent illegal migrants are too minuscule to worry about for large-scale public welfare programs like Aadhaar. One should think logically with proper data analysis before reaching conclusion and decision. Moreover, Aadhaar is not proof of citizenship which is written upfront the Aadhaar letter. Once illegal migrants get registered in Aadhaar system and identified at any point of time, then they will not be able to hide anywhere in the crowd due to inter-linked databases. We will be spending / investing only a few million Aadhaar Numbers out of 100 billion possible Numbers. Therefore, registering illegal migrants will be beneficial.
on Oct 28, 2013Paranoids of Aadhaar should settle at some remote island in the Pacific Ocean, be completely free of everything, sing
on Oct 28, 2013What is privacy? Do we have privacy? Do the use of electronic devices such as mobile phones, emails, internet, TV, bank cards provide any privacy? No. At any moment the Govt. knows of our geographical location, what we are talking on phone with whom, what we are reading, writing or watching on internet, and what TV channel we watch when and for how long (it is the source of TRP data) thru the service provider. Don't they? All it is done thru device identifiers like IMEI, IP address, GPS under electronic surveillance.
on Oct 28, 2013I think Indian media is always comfortable in having eagle eyes to watch this matter top down. I guess that may be because of their interest in writing stories and articles on ADHAAR and its head. Please go and look at the way these data is extracted. Agencies whoever took this project and their employees are making money by charging poor for enrollment and made it in a simple way anyone can apply and get if they pay. While it is a voluntary service, elderly and immovable men and women are scared by mentioning that government benefits will not be provided if they do not have card. They were made to wait in the queue for hours to get their Biometrics done. I was surprised by the way things are projected in media and interviews of Nilekani. He says your address can be changed by simple process. I am still chasing them(written email or tried calling them) to correct my fathers name in my mother ADHAAR ID. If things are there as said so, no worries. In realty things are different but always painted good in media articles and interviews to make people believe this good for society. If government is so serious about this UID project they should stop issuing new ration cards, and voter id. Why do every time government(State or Center) brings new scheme or service we(common man) are asked to run around and get it immediately. This project clearly give benefit to certain NGOs, Technology Companies, Lobbyist, Corporate Leaders, Business Man, government banks, Service organizations but not for a common man like me. We are always penalized for new scheme of things. I think FORBES should show the other side of this PROJECT, rather painting it rosy with one side.
on Oct 25, 2013Believe me.... Aadhaar will benefit common man like you and me too.
on Jan 12, 2014It should have been Cititizenship ID Card. Then it would have been seriously completed within 2 years. Now it has completed 30% in 5 years. Adhaar sounds like freebie given by govt or congress party to the people that is why it is lost .... First Manmohansingh allocated 2.5 billion dollar for this ambitious project with in one year, due to some calamitities he reduced by 50% then u can think of success. It is half hearted effort and intension.
on Oct 24, 2013Agreed, that a monumental effort has been put behind the initiative and it has many upsides. The detractors\' fear of illegal immigrant seeping into permanence in India, never-the-less becomes too high with a Govt approved legal document so easily available to all and sundry. How long would it take post Aadhar to get an account opened, a PF account, a phone connection and then Driver\'s License and ultimately a Ration Card and Voter\'s Card. Even a passport carrying nationality will get issued basis few of the above documents. So a simultaneous effort to separate Citizens and non-citizens on the document will make it fo down the favour of those who do not want to be identified as what they are - illegal residents in the country. Hence lower walk-ins by such guests to enrol for aadhar. Cannot just look at one aspect of an issue and steamroll it all across.
on Oct 16, 2013Well researched article. If a book is written on the aadhaar project in a dispassionate, unbiased way then i am sure it will exceed a thousand pages. Activists will invent a thousand objections, misgivings, grunts, concerns and whine all day long but that will not take away the merit from aadhaar project. It rests on sound logic and indisputable evidence. The science of biometrics is a tested science. If it benefits humanity then so be it. It will be a game changer if implemented in a proper manner.
on Oct 12, 2013HAHAHA! I want to know how much money did this cost Mr Nilekani?
on Oct 11, 2013it is so difficult to get the Aadhaar card. I have applied twice but still won\'t get. For getting this some broker\'s ask money. Those who are paying get their card\'s so earlier. What\'s going on with my Country.
on Oct 11, 2013In a country where even the currency is duplicated by some,a very sensitive Card like AADHAAR was expected to be fool proof. Dr.A.Jagadeesh Nellore(AP),India
on Oct 8, 2013We have to go now cashless.
on Nov 2, 2013I can see that the mechanism of UID , is not constructed with foolproof for privacy.but i also think all the foolproof issue which exist with UID will exist even if the project is not executed. But it looks like giving an iphone(UIDAI) to the pager user (Government).
on Oct 8, 2013Most important is the fact that the article deliberately sidesteps National security issues and who is controlling the data. Further several contradictions like a project without feasibility study, Proof of concept, Budget and also UID transforming to NIA is carefully avoided. Several gaping questions arise. Whey Parliamentary Standing Committee that called it 'Directionless, ill conceived and raises several questions on privacy' this is a serious indictment and a charge that too unanimous. Therefore they are already nervous and are pressing the panic button. To attribute this to Nandan Nilekani's success is the biggest joke and hilarious. Good luck to such journalists who do only propaganda to a 'Marketing buff' nothing more. Truth only will triumph'
on Oct 8, 2013What about people\'s right to privacy? If somebody gets\' VISA details, they get to know about where one dines, go to movies, what one purchases, what magazines one reads etc. These are personal matters and government should have to issue a warrant to get these details and people should have an expectation of privacy. What i post on internet on my facebook is only for my friends and not for government to see. It\'s not government business to monitor me. With Biometrics and facial recognition, government can monitor people more closely. If evil people sit in power in inside the government they can come after you viciously and destroy your life.
on Oct 8, 2013Aadhaar is always voluntary. But, over the last year, more and more states and government agencies had mandatory the use of Adhar Card for a host of services, from buying cooking gas to registering marriages and renting houses. Check Adhar Related More updates here. http://www.datesheetadda.co.in .
on Mar 25, 2019