What is Aadhaar?
A name given to the Unique Identification Number project in India .... Aadhar logo--
What is UID/Aadhar?
Aadhaar is a 12-digit unique number which the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) will issue for all residents. The number will be stored in a centralised database and linked to the basic demographics and biometric information – photograph, ten fingerprints and iris – of each individual. The details of the data fields and verification procedures are available here.
Aadhaar will be:
- Easily verifiable in an online, cost-effective way
- Unique and robust enough to eliminate the large number of duplicate and fake identities in government and private databases
- A random number generated, devoid of any classification based on caste, creed, religion and geography
Who can get Aadhar?
An individual who is a resident in India and satisfies the verification process laid down by the UIDAI can get an Aadhaar.
How will Aadhar help?
- The number will consequently form the basic, universal identity infrastructure over which Registrars and Agencies across the country can build their identity-based applications
- Aadhaar will ensure increased trust between public and private agencies and residents. Once residents enrol for Aadhaar, service providers will no longer face the problem of performing repeated Know Your Customer (KYC) checks before providing services
- By providing a clear proof of identity, Aadhaar will empower poor and underprivileged residents in accessing services such as the formal banking system and give them the opportunity to easily avail various other services provided by the Government and the private sector
Considering India's population and demographic problems is Aadhar a dream or reality?
Post answers to these questions in the comments section of this post.
Who is heading the UID project in India?
In which village was UID unveiled and when?
[This post was requested by Priyanka Mehta]
Aadhar Program is being headed by Nandan Nilekani one of the founders of Infy.
ReplyDeleteThe ids were first issued in Tembhali village in Nandurbar district of Maharashtra.
I think is a good measure esp. to reach out to Bharat beyond India. It could be a reality albeit with difficulties.
ReplyDeleteIt is initiated by the UPA government and the project is headed by Nandan Nilekani.
It was unveiled in a village called Tembhli in Nandurbar on 29th September, 2010.
Thanks a lot for the post Ma'am :)
Hello Ma'am,
ReplyDeleteIf India can be one of the biggest IT hub & store information about people around the world then why not use some space for its own people....Security is becoming a major concern in our country day-by-day & having Aadhaar which would render equal security benefits as the SSN number in US would be another stepping stone for India towards development....!
Benefits: It speeds up the verification process of individuals in terms of employment, bank transactions, etc. & also prevents filtration in terms of security of identifications....!
Thanks Priyanka for requesting this topic for discussion.
ReplyDeleteHow long is this no, some say it is 12 digits and others say it is 16 digits(Can you please clarity this Ma'am)
Yes indeed it is an ambitious initiative undertaken by the govt of India, I am sure it is designed on the lines of SSN that works in the USA. Surely, in the future everything about the person's life would be stored in this id, it makes it very easy for the officials to find the specifics about the individual. Also government compensations like daily wages and unemployment wages also the pension could be tracked easily with this no.(Though we have a long time for that).
I would only presume it would store all the data about the people of India and there will be a day soon when we would be given UID no the moment we turn 18, perhaps it would the b'day gift to us from the Govt. But there are many challenges that the govt will face, like the geographical diversity preventing the officials from reaching the isolated places in our country given the vast geographical diversities our country has.
We aspire to cover 600 million people in the next 5 year. Few of the most important aspects to consider would be that it will cater to the needs of the population which lives below poverty line, it would be a boon to them.
Security will be bolstered due to the advent of this id, will reduce illegal migration of people from other countries to India looking out for job.
All in all, Great Initiative, but few questions which need to be answered, I would like to ask this question to all in the forum including Ma'am
1) Will our geographical diversity hamper the progress of UID
2) Will it reach the places which are controlled my the notorious bodies like naxalities border areas of Kashmir??
3) How significant will it be for the people living in these areas.
i totally disagree with introduction of UID. The government is burdening citizens with so many verification proofs for eg:
ReplyDelete1]ration card
2]voter's ID
3]PAN card
these are just the few familiar ones. yet there are many which can be put down. the basic conclusion that can be derived is that the govt is incapable of controlling the use of various id proofs issued and here comes the new one UID.
Something more about Aadhar .....Taken from a newspaper article
ReplyDeleteMumbai : In a bid to weed out frauds, the government has decided that all its employees should have the Aadhar Unique Identification Number (UID) to draw their salary. Maharashtra will be the first state in the country to implement the system.
The UID will have demographic and biometric information of an individual. The government, which has nearly 37 lakh staffers, hopes that the system will stop corruption among unscrupulous employees, who have been known for drawing salaries from various departments at the same time. On one occasion, a department continued to pay salary in the name of a deceased staffer