what the uid conceals
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8/6/2019 What the UID Conceals
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STUDENT-10
Contributed By: Mr. Prem Kumar
Basic IAS Academy
http://www.basicias.com
What The UID Conceals
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What The UID Conceals
The UID project has both security and
developmental dimensions. The former leads to an
invasive state; the latter leaves us with a retreating state.
1. Is identity the missing link in Indias efforts to
rise as an inclusive economic superpower? Can an
identity-linked and technology-based solution change the
face of governance in India? Given the euphoria around
the Unique Identification (UID) project, one is tempted to
believe so. However, a careful look at the project would
show that the euphoria is just hyperbole; only the politically
nave can afford to ignore the far-reaching implications of
this Orwellian project.2.One can summarise the criticisms of the UID
project under four heads. First, the project would
necessarily entail the violation of privacy and civil liberties
of people. Second, it remains unclear whether biometric
technology the cornerstone of the project is capable
of the gigantic task of de-duplication. The Unique
Identification Authority of Indias (UIDAI) Biometrics
Standards Committee has noted that retaining biometric
efficiency for a database of more than one billion persons
has not been adequately analysed and the problem of
fingerprint quality in India has not been studied in depth.
Third, there has been no cost-benefit analysis or feasibilityreport for the project till now. Finally, the purported benefits
of the project in the social sector, such as in the Public
Distribution System (PDS), are largely illusive. The problem
of duplicate ration cards is often hugely exaggerated. Even
so, some States have largely eliminated duplicate ration cards
using lower technologies like hologram-enabled ration
cards.
3.In this larger context, the UID project has two
distinct political dimensions. The first dimension is that the
project is fundamentally linked to national security
concerns rather than developmental concerns. In fact,
the marketing team of the UIDAI has always been on an
overdrive to hush up the security angle, and play up the
developmental angle, to render it more appealing.
4. The first phase of todays UID project was initiated
in 1999 by the NDA government in the wake of the Kargil
War. Following the reports of the Kargil Review Committee
in 2000, and a Group of Ministers in 2001, the NDA
government decided to compulsorily register all citizens
into a National Population Register (NPR) and issue a
Multi-purpose National Identity Card (MNIC) to each
citizen. To ease this process, clauses related to individual
privacy in the Citizenship Act of 1955 were weakened
fo"k; igpku ifj;kstuk esa lqj{kk vkSj fodklRed nksuksa va'k 'kkfeygSA igys ds vUrxZr gesa vkked feyrh gS rks nwljk va 'k gesa 'kj.kfeyus dk vkHkkl nsrk gS A
1 Hkkjr }kjk vius vki dks vkfFkZd fo'o'kfDr ds :i esafLFkr djus esa D;k igpku cuk ikuk ,d eq[; /kkj.k jgk\ D;kigpku laca/kh vkSj rduhd vk/kkfjr lek/kku Hkkjrh; iz'kklu dhfLFkfr esa ifjorZu ykus esa l{ke gksaxs\ fof'k"V igpku dh ifj;kstukdk lqjhyk iz pkj rks gesa bu ckrksa ij fo'okl djus ij etcwj djrkgSA rFkkfi] ;fn bl ifj;kstuk dks /;kuiwoZd ns[ksa rks Li"V gks tkrkgS fd bl ;kstuk ds fo"k; esa gks gYyk epkuk dsoy jktuS frd nkao gS ]
ftls lHkor% bl nwjxkeh my>uksa dh vogsyuk djuk laHko ugha gksA2- ;w- vkbZ- Mh- ifj;kstuk dh vkykspuk pkj 'kh"kZdkssa ds
varxZr dh tk ldrh gSA igyk&;g ifj;kstuk vuko';d :i esayksxksa dh futrk vkSj Lora=Rkk ds vf/kdkj dh vogsyuk gSA nwljk;g Li"V ugha gS fd ck;ksehfVd rduhd&tks bl ifj;kstuk dk vaxgS & D;k bl ckr dh iqf"V djrk gS fd blesa MqIyhds'ku ugha gksxkAck;ksehfVd LVSaMM~Zl desVh us bldh {kerk ij fVIi.kh djrs gq,dgk gS fd bldh l{kerk dk] brus djksM+ yksxksa ds MkVk dks laHkkyikus dh] lgh vkdyu vHkh ugha gks ik;k gSA fQj vaxqyh ds fu'kkuds laca/k esa] Hkkjrh; ifjizs{; esa] laHkkoukvkssa ij Hkh xgurkiwoZd fopkj
ugha gks ldkA rhljk bldk dher ds Lrj ij D;k ykHk gS bldkHkh [kqyklk fdlh fjiksVZ esa ugha gqvk gSA vfUre lkekftd {ks=]ifCyd fMLVhC;w'ku flLV~e esa ;g fdruk ykHknk;d fl) gksxkbldk vkdyu fd;k tkuk ckdh gSA MqIyhdsr jk'ku dkMksZa dh ckrdks lkekU;r% cgqr c
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fn;k x;kA la{ksi esa jk"Vh; vkbZ-Mh- ifj;kstuk dk ewy dk;Z 2003esa gh iwjk dj fy;k x;k FkkA
5- ;w-ih-,- ljdkj ds ;w-vkbZ-Mh- vkSj ,u-Mh-,- ljdkj dh
,e-,u-vkbZ-lh dh lekurk dh vogsyuk laHko ugha] ;|fi ;w-ih-,-ljdkj ;w-vkbZ-Mh- dks iw.kZr% fodkl'khyrk* ls tksM+dj is'k dj jghgSA baVsfytsal C;wjks ds iwoZ izeq[k ,-ds-Mksoy us ;w-vkbZ-Mh- dks ;gdgrs gq, udkj fn;k fd ewy :i esa ;w-vkbZ-Mh- dk ms'; fons'khvkSj vizkf/kr yksxksa dks [kRe djus dk FkkA fdUrq vc vk;ke cny
jgk gS A vc bls fodkl ls tksM+dj iz;ksftr fd;k tk jgk gSA6- bl ifj;kstuk dks ysdj lqj{kk dk tks Hk; gS ogh dkj.k
gS fd futrk dh fpark dks Hkh xaHkhjrk ls fy;k tkuk pkfg,A ljdkjvkS j ;w-vkbZ-Mh-vkbZ- us ,slk ekgkSy cuk fn;k gS tSls ;fn blifj;kstuk ls vPNs iz'kklu dks nwj dj fn;k tk, rks ;g futrk vkSjyksd Lora=rk ds f[kykQ gks tk,xkA ;gh leL;k dh tM+ gSAO;fDrxr Lora=rk dh ewy le> ds v/;;u ds fo"k; esa veZR;lsutSls fo}ku Hkh ekurs gSa fd O;fDrxr~ Lora=rk ds vf/kdkj dks cpkikuk blls cgqr eqf'dy gks tk;xkA vr% ,d vktknh ls nwljhvktknh fodkl ds fy, futrk esa ?kql iSB dh ekax mB [kM+h gks
jgh gSA izR;sd izdkj dh vktknh] Lora= :i esa dherh gS vr% fdlhHkh ,d izdkj dh vktknh dk [kks tkuk O;fDr dh {kerk ij izHkkoMkysxh tks vU; izdkj dh vktkfn;ksa dks Hkh izHkkfor dj ldrh gSAvr% blh ifjizs{; esa rc vk'p;Z ugha gksrk tc veZR; lsu ;w-vkbZ-Mh- ifj;kstuk ds fo"k; esa futrk ij fpark O;Dr djrs gSA
7- blh ls tqM+ h fpUrk gS iqfyl vkSj lqj{kkcyA ;fn
ck;ksehfVd MkVkcsl dh igqp dh btktr feyrh gS rks fujUrjfuxjkuh vkSj tkapiM+rky ds fy, bldk mi;ksx c
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Li"V fd;k gSA ,u-Mh-lh- dh 24 tqykbZ 2010 dh dkUsal dks lEcksf/kr djrs gq, mUgksaus dgk fd ^vkus okys o"kksZa esa -------- gesa ------ viusfQldy MsfQflV dks de djus ds fy, ----- vkyf{kr lfClMh dksde djuk gksxk* ;w- vkbZ- ,u- ,l- ds dk;Zjr~ gks tkus ls gesa yf{kr
lfClMht dks izHkkoh :i ls de djus ds volj feysaxsA
9- ;w- vkbZ- Mh- ,- vkbZ- dk nkok gS fd ;w- vkbZ- Mh- lsljdkj dks dbZ lh/ks ykHk izkIr djus esa lQyrk feysxhA okLro esabl izdkj jkT; dh Hkwfedk lh/ks&lh/ks vkSj Li"V gks dj mejsxhA ;w-vkbZ- Mh- ,- vkbZ- ds fy, ;w- vkbZ- Mh- l'kDrhdj.k dk ,d vkStkjcusxkA ;w- vkbZ- Mh- ds }kjk ljdkj dks lkekftd lsokvksa gsrqukxfjdksa dks igpkuuk ljy gks tk,xkA ih-Mh-,l- ifCyd fMLVhC;w'kuflLVe esa ;g lcls izHkko'kkyh fl) gksxkA
10- lh/kk rdZ ;g gS fd ;w- vkbZ- Mh- ifj;kstuk Hkkjr dsih-Mh-,l- dks fc[kjus djus dh ,d cM+h dks f'k'k gSSA bldk ms';ih-Mh- ,l- ds LFkku ij [kk|iwfrZ djus ds fy, fiNys njokts[kksyuk gS tks ckn esa /khjs&/khjs [kk|kiwfrZ djus ds fy, fiNys njokts
[kksyuk gS tks ckn esa /khjs&/khjs [kk|kiwfrZ vkSj caVokjk ljdkj ds lkFkls iwjh rjg fudy tk,xkA
11- ;w- vkbZ- Mh- ,- vkbZ- ds vuqlkj ;w- vkbZ-Mh- dk lclsegRoiw.kZ ykHk ;g gksxk fd vkids ikl ih-Mh-,l- dks ^pfyr* i)frgksxhA ;kfu fd vkids ikl ,slh i)fr gksxhA ftlds }kjk vki ;kfufd ,d LFkku ls nwljs LFkku ij dke ds fy, tkus okys etnwjHkkjr Hkj esa dgha Hkh viuk ih-Mh-,l- dksVk [kjhnus esa l{ke gkstk,xsA ;g nkok] gkykafd] [kks[kyk vkSj /kks[kk nsus okyk gSA bls
le>us ds fy, xgjkbZ esa tkuk gksxkA12- orZeku Qs;j izkbl 'kkWIl(FPS) i)fr dks ysa rks]
izR;sd nqdku ij dqN [kkl la[;k esa ifjokj ntZ gSA bUgsa dsoy bUghsantZ ifjokjksa ds fy, vukt miyC/k djk;k tkrk gSA bu nqdkunkjksadks D;k irk pysxk fd fdrus yksx nwljh txg ls vk, gS] fdrus
le; ds fy, vk, gSa vkSj dc os vius fy, fu/kkZfjr vukt ekaxusvk igqapsxsaA vr% lkeku dh deh dkj.k og mu yksxksa dks vUu nsus
ls badkj dj nsxkA vr% ;w- vkbZ- Mh- ls laca/k ih-Mh-,l- ds {ks= esa,Q-ih-,l- i)fr dkjxj ugha gSA ,ssls esa ,d gh jkLrk cprk gS] ,Q-ih-,l- i)fr dks pykus nsa] xzkljh 'kkWIl ij vUu cspus fn;k tk,]nksuksa dks vkil esa rkyesy cSBkus fn;k tk, vkSj nqdkunkjksa dks
lfClMh dks vkil esa ckaV ysus nh tk,A dqy feykdj [kk| LVkEidk ;g lR; gSA dksbZ ,Q-ih-,l- ugh a] ,d jkf'k ds cjkcj dh vki
dks [kk| eqgj feysxh] fdlh Hkh nqdku ij tkb, vkSj vukt [kjhnyhft,A 3] vxLr 2004 dks ^n fgUnw* esa izdkf'kr e/kqjk LokehukFkudk rkjxsVsM QwM LVkWEil* uked ys[k esa ppkZ gS fd [kk| eqgj dh
leL;k, D;k gksaxhA13- fnypLi ckr rks ;g gS fd ;w- vkbZ- Mh- ped ned
ls f?kjs yksxksa ds bykok lHkh ;g ckr tkurs vkSj le>rs gSaA ;w- vkbZ-Mh-,-vkbZ- vkSipkfjd :i ls Lohdkj djrh gS fd ;w- vkbZ- Mh ds ek/;e ls [kk| fVdV dk dk;kZUo;u vklku jgsxkA ;gh ekuuk ;kstuk
commitments. None other than the Prime Minister has made
this amply clear. Addressing the National Development Council
(NDC) on July 24, 2010, he noted: to reduce our fiscal deficit
in the coming years, we must [be] reducing the scale of
untargeted subsidies. The operationalisation of the Unique
Identification Number Scheme provides an opportunity to
target subsidies effectively.
9. The UIDAI claims that UID would help the
government shift from a number of indirect benefits into direct
benefits. In reality, such a shift would represent the opposite:
a transformation of the role of the state from a direct provider
to an indirect provider. For the UIDAI, the UID is a tool of
empowerment. In reality, the UID would be an alibi for the state
to leave the citizen unmarked in the market for social services.
Nowhere is the illustration more telling than in the case of the
PDS.
10. Let me state the argument upfront. The UID project
is part of a larger effort to dismantle the PDS in India. The aimis to ensure a back-door entry of food stamps in the place of
PDS, and later graduate it to a cash transfer scheme, thereby
completing the states withdrawal from the sphere of food
procurement and distribution.
11. According to the UIDAI, the most important benefit
from the UID could be that you could have a portable PDS.
In other words, you could have a system where you (say, a
migrant worker) could buy your PDS quota from anywhere in
India. The claim, of course, has a deceptive appeal. One would
have to dig deeper to grasp the real intent.
12. If we take the present fair price shop (FPS) system,
each FPS has a specified number of households registered toit. The FPS stores grains only for the registered households.
The FPS owner would not know how many migrants, and for
what periods, would come in and demand their quota. Hence,
for lack of stock, he would turn away migrant workers who
demand grains. Hence, the FPS system is incompatible with
the UID-linked portability of PDS. There is only one way out:
do away with the FPS system, accredit grocery shops to sell
grains, allow them to compete with each other and allow the
shop owners to get the subsidy reimbursed. This is precisely
what food stamps are all about; no FPS, you get food stamps
worth an amount, go to any shop and buy grains (on why food
stamps are deeply problematic, see Madhura Swaminathan,
Targeted Food Stamps, The Hindu, August 3, 2004).
13. What is interesting is that everyone, except those
enamoured by the UID glitter, appears to know this. On its
part, UIDAI officially accepts that food stamps become easier
to implement with the UID. So does the Planning Commission,
which sees the UID as the fulcrum around which its plans to
reform the PDS revolve. It turns out that an opposition to
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vk;ksx dk Hkh gS] mls yxrk gS fd bl izdkj ih-Mh-,l- i)fr esa Hkhlq/kkj vk,xkA os bl ckr ls bUdkj djrs gS fd ih-Mh- ,l dksfc[ksjus] [kk| fVdV dks ykuk ;w- vkbZ- Mh- dk fojks/k gSA
14- uUnu fudsru us Hkkjrh; fodklkRed izkFkfedrkvksadks le>us esa Hkkjh ewy dh gSA muds vuqlkj & ba fnjk dky esa ukjk
Fkk xjhch gVkvksaA ckn esa ukjk vk;k jksVh&diM+k vkSj edkuA fiNysdqN o"kksZa esa ukjk Fkk fctyh] lM+d ikuhA vc ;s lc ukjs iqjkus iM+pqds vc u;k ukjk gS& ;w- vkbZ- Mh- uEcj] cSad [kkrk la[;k] eksckbyQksuA xjhch tSlh xaHkhj leL;k ds Hkwy ls cgqr nw j dh ;gfo'oO;kih nf"V ds dkj.k vkykspdksa dk dguk gS vk/kkj&fujk/kkjA
15- fu"d"kZr% ;w- vkbZ- Mh- ifj;kstuk esas lqj{kk ,oa fodklnksuksa vk;ke fufgr gSA igyk vkked fLFkfr gS rks nwljk gesa 'kj.kfeyus dh vuHkwfr djkrk gSA nksuksa gh izdkj ukxfjdksa dks gh gkfugksus okyh gSA
16- vkj- jkedqekj eqEcbZ fLFkr VkVk baLVhV~;wV vkWQlks'ky lkbalst esa dk;Zjr~ gSaA
the dismantling of PDS, and to food stamps, also involves an
opposition to the UID.
14. On his part, Nandan Nilekani has been showcasing
his extraordinarily poor understanding of Indias developmental
priorities. According to him, in the Indira years, the slogan
was garibi hatao. Then it was roti, kapda, makaan. In the last
few years, it was bijli, sadak, pani. However, these slogans are
pass; the in-thing is the slogan UID number, bank account,
mobile phone. Such an inverted world view, totally divorced
from the grim realities of poverty, has prompted critics to call
AADHAAR as just NIRAADHAAR!
15. In conclusion, the UID project is marked by both
security and developmental dimensions. The former leads
to an invasive state; the latter leaves us with a retreating state.
Either way, the citizen is worse off.
( R. Ramakumar is with the Tata Institute of Social
Sciences, Mumbai.)
Courtesy : - The Hindu
Disclaimer: This article has been translated exclusively for IAS Aspirants convenience and study purposesAuthor doesn't take responsibility of view expressed or accuracy of the content."