Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram has taken on Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) boss Nandan Nilekani and Planning Commission Deputy Chairperson Montek Singh Ahluwalia over the controversy-ridden project to give every Indian resident a unique ID number.
On Thursday, Mr. Chidambaram wrote to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, asking him to “instruct” the Planning Commission to bring a note to the Cabinet on the status of the UIDAI, so that there is “clarity” on which agency – the Registrar-General of India (RGI) or the UIDAI – will carry on with the task of capturing the biometric data of the population, as the latter has sought to have its mandate extended.
The UIDAI comes under the nodal authority of the Planning Commission while the RGI functions under the Home Ministry.
The terse one-page letter comes not just in the wake of a Standing Committee of Parliament rejecting the UIDAI Bill, but two articles in the media attacking Mr. Chidambaram for obstructing the progress of the scheme; indeed, in his letter to the Prime Minister, the Home Minister has said: “Some inspired stories have appeared in the media painting the MHA black and presenting distorted facts. I enclose two extracts – one from the Economist and the other from the Hindustan Times.”
The work of the RGI, which had been asked to collect biometric data of all usual residents in the country and then send that data to the UIDAI for de-duplication and generation of Aadhar numbers, the Home Minister says in his letter, was “proceeding well and is expected to be completed by mid-2013.” Meanwhile, the UIDAI, Mr. Chidambaram writes, was “also” authorised to collect biometric data first for 100 million people, and subsequently, of up to 200 million people.
Now that the UIDAI wants its mandate extended, the Home Minister has sought clarity on its status: “Since there is no clarity on who will capture the biometric data — the RGI or the UIDAI — a few months ago, I had requested the Planning Commission to bring a paper to the Cabinet or the appropriate Cabinet committee and obtain a decision in the matter,” he has written, adding that he himself had spoken to Mr. Ahluwalia several times on this.
The problem, government sources said, had arisen because the Home Ministry felt that the data collected by the UIDAI was not secure, and had not been verified by a government servant. While the RGI has actually visited households, the UIDAI has invited people to come to designated centres, where the data collection has been done by hired organisations.
Mr. Chidambaram has, therefore, sought “clarity on the issue so that the work of capturing biometrics can go forward.” He ends his letter to the Prime Minister saying: “In my respectful submission, it would not be in the interest of the government to allow the controversy to be played out in the media.”
The problem, sources say, is that the logical order of the UID project has been back to front. First came the assurance of a unique identity, then fund allocation, then feasibility study and the Bill to govern it, which has been rejected by the Standing Committee. And this, after Rs. 672 crores has been spent by the UIDAI till November 2011.
home ministry should target registration in border areas and areas of high data errors. work together not apart.
I agree with the comment that UID should be a seperate organization like the US social security administration. And a seperate and clear law on data privacy and use of personal by governoment instituion should be passed. Personal data with home ministry can be misused given the ways police and intellegence agencies are used as personal pawn by politicians. Thus this UID administration should be an independent body like the election commision.
Each person invited to centres for Aadhar card has to submit a xerox copy of Electoral Voter Identity Card which costs every citizen Rs 3/= This means Rs 330 crores income for xerox operators.I don't have a ration card. They say "Your house doesn't have a number. So we can't give you ration card". I have clearly told them if you wish to give any Aadhar or Dildhar card come to my house and give it.
Mr. Chidambaram is creating unnecessary media hypes nothing else. UID Number is meant only to provide an identity. they are not saying that this is citizenship proof. n thats all. Actually if UID Number Scheme is implemented then there will be no duplication of data. further if cash subsidy transfer is also implemented then a lots of subsidy holes will be closed and the major part that is being eaten up by corruption will be disbursed to the beneficiaries. i think this is the main reason thats why these roadblock are being put in the way of UID AADHAR.
Given that UIDAI is one of the flagship programmes flouted by the Govt., which it intends to make use of in a wide range of public service delivery mechanisms, primarily for food, better coordination among departments was expected. Now that the project is into full swing, it would not be good to pull out the project. Rather the best way forward is to have a conciliatory posture among the stakeholders through well-thought demarcation in responsibilities and ensuring what the home ministry fears the most - the security of the data collected by the third -party handlers for the UIDAI project. UIDAI project here to stay, and rightfully so, given the immense potential it has to bring about a revolutionary change in the life of the common man, if implemented successfully with performance budgeting at its core. Govt. has a big task in its hand to bring this mega- project in the statute book which shall accord parliament's will to this watershed scheme to make it more strong in its pursuit.
Schemes like the UID are bound to fail. The uniqueness of the biometrics is somewhat suspect. DNA would be unique enough ! But, having said that, I am not advocating DNA collection -- even though the Home Ministry would probably love the idea. Aadhar is being sold to the people under the promise that it will ensure security of "entitlements" that are supposed to come to you. Who wants to be robbed ? My question is: What was the need to create fear first ? It reminds me of the marketeers' use of "FUD" (Fear, Uncertainty and Doubt) to sell to someone something they don't need. Why is a false tone necessary, and why do we hear this right from the start ? Would you condemn me if I smell something fishy ?
Chidambaram has made a preposterous allegation that his Ministry is better suited to deciding who is a citizen and who is not? The Home Ministry has not been able to prevent infiltration from Pakistan and immigration from Bangladesh. There are voices in the govt. which say that let the Bangladeshis come in. Should Chidambaram not focus his attention on these two aspects? Secondly, if Chidambaram feels that his Ministry is better suited for this job, let him make a presentation on how he hopes to finish this task in two years time. This process can be debated upon and if it is felt that his incompetence will extend to this job,too, then an independent statutory body can be set up to assign citizenship rights based on the list of residents enrolled by UIDAI.
Instead of roping private parties for data collection, post offices
spread across the breadth and length of India can be roped in to do the
Job. The remark of Government servant verifying the data is taken care
in one go. Hope the Government and Mr. Nandan Nilekani listens to the
comments by the Public.
The focus now should be to ensure a secure process for obtaining data and to understand that with "AADHAR" the country's security is at stake.Steps should be taken to remove the inefficiencies if any.
The Home Minister's letter ends with the plea, "In my respectful submission, it would not be in the interest of the government to allow the controversy to be played out in the media." How has this letter ended up promptly in the media?
Wheher it is front to back or back to front, the job needs to be done ... this should have been done 60 years ago ... why can't the educated "illiterate" at high places agree on some key parameters and move on with the speed , rather than asking for clarity on a project which woefully behind schedule .
The periodic census, as conducted by the RGI, is a valuable data source beyond question - though the utility of any biometric data collected in the process is moot. The UIDAI goals, on the other hand, is open to question on many grounds which are discussed widely in the media. But what has not been mentioned in this connection is the effective (and cheap) method for unique identification as first used on people by the Nazis - 6 million unique tattoos! This was preceded on a larger scale to mark cattle on open ranges. The modern hi-tech version used by the Kennel Club is a silicon-chip implant - but the tattoo is more tamper proof. The tattoo, if burned deep enough, would last a lifetime and also guarantee foolproof verification with more tested equipment like modified bar-code readers! And the icing would be that the burning process would be handled by a completely different agency! But seriously - build decentralised networks, and let neighbours vouch for identity and uniqueness.
If the Prime Minister says UIDAI will enrol residents, will Chidambaram agree of will he sulk ? The PM should select UIDAI because its work will be over by 2013, whereas Chidambaram could be out of office by then. The Home Ministry has not even begun work. The data collected by UIDAI can be made accessible to the Home Ministry for clearance on which resident is a citizen and which resident is not a citizen.
If a unique number is all that the UID project provides, then why not piggy back the bio-metrics and other stuff on the passport of individuals which is not only unique but also given after a pooice verification process. Though very much desirable the sticking point here would be to give passports to every citizen.
This is a clear example of bureaucratic red tapism plaguing our executive resulting in delay in execution of well thought out plans. Proper identity encompassing all potential activities of a citizen is the need of the hour which would help in tracking of tax evasion. It is obvious there would be vested interests keen to put road blocks to the project so that investigations into benami deals do not see the light of the day. The UID project should be executed in full without any further delay ironing out all ambiguity regarding the jurisdiction under whom the project should fall. It is better that the agency currently handling the project continues the good work with a defined dead line. The Home Minister is an efficient person who does his work diligently. Unfortunately all the other ministerial colleagues do not match his calibre and engage themselves in drift like a rudderless ship. Now the reference has been made to the Prime Minister it is hoped that the issue would be resolved.
From the news information, I understand that in connection with giving an unique ID number to every indian resident, if the biometric data collected by a government body,would be a safty and secured one in order to avoid future complications.
If UID project was run by RGI, they would never have achieved the rapid registrations that UIDIA has had. The members of the planning commission (including the home ministry) should be congratulated on an excellent job.
Clearly, Indian politics is ruining India beyond repair and meaningful progress. Unless Indians demand "progress above politics" , Politicians will pull the country to ground like the Italian cruise ship which is in ruin. Clearly, the egos of the Home Ministry is in conflict with Planning Commission and the UIDAI. The issue is about the purpose of the ID card. If one looks into how other countries handle this, then perhaps a solution can be found.
For instance, the Identity Card in Singapore is with Ministry of Home Affairs, sine all matters related to Passport are also handled by Home Ministry. So, in this case also, it makes sense for UIDAI to be under Home Ministry. This will also ensure that any misuse can be tackled as Law & Order. However, it will also provide undue access on private information to Home Ministry which can be abused by Home Minister or Home Ministry officials. This can be addressed by perhaps making UIDAI as an autonomous body under Ministry of Home Affairs.
Mr.Chidambaram's contention that RGI's catelogue is sacrosant as a petty govt. servant has visited a house for data collection while in UIDAI, public go to the centres manned by outsourced private agencies is untenable as no government servant has visited my house so far in the last decade either for census data collection or updating voter list though I pay tax regularly. A strong punishment like jail, dismissal from service can only make public servants and ministers to perform their job efficiently and effectively and make a better India.
The UID should come under an independent agency like the social security administration in U.S. The UID main purpose is to distribute the state benefits to its citizens. The home ministry has nothing to do with it any more than the security agencies.
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