Aadhaar Continues To Antagonize

"Aadhaar is a 12-digit unique identification (UID) number which the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) is issuing for all Indian residents. The UID number is stored in a centralised database and linked to the basic demographics and biometric information – photograph, ten fingerprints and iris – of each individual." Thus spake UIDAI. 

Sounds alright, yes? Read it again, and linger an extra second over these words this time : "Centralized database", "Photographs, ten fingerprints and iris". Has the fear set in yet? No? Let me break this down for you: The same country in which an entire State's police department let vigilance complaints pile up unnoticed for 8 years because they had forgotten the password to the portal set up for exactly this purpose, is now going to host pretty much all my identification documentation on one centralized database. The sky is falling, you guys. 

But information security is just the icing on an undigestible cake. Let's start at the base. First of all, there is still no centralized list of enumeration camps where individuals can go to register for their Aadhaar card. Secondly, these camps themselves are organized by third party contractors who have seemingly been chosen at random, or at least with no credible background check on their eligibility criteria that has been made public. Thirdly -and this is the best part- the question in the Aadhaar form asking for ‘Information Sharing Consent’ has ‘Yes’ by default. You only realise after you receive the acknowledgement slip that you've just agreed to share your information. And though corrections "need to be made within 90 days", said corrections cannot be made at these enumeration camps. 

So far, so bad. But there is a silver lining, you guys. As everybody -including the merriest Indian prankster this side of the internet, Sid Vadukut-  has been pointing out, the Aadhaar card itself is being handed out like last season's jeans. From merging the National Population Register (NPR) and the Aadhaar (meaning your NPR data just gets duplicated on your Aadhaar card) to allotting no definitive proof of identification for its disbursal, the whole scheme is a bit smokes and mirrors. The system is so flawed in fact that it doesn't even have a provision for people who live in apartments. Try to input your apartment number, and the system tells you only your "house number" can be recorded. And this piece of fine plastic is going to serve as your proof of residence!  

So maybe we should just choose to look at it this way: even if somebody were to hack into the UID database and steal your information, the chances of that information being accurate is pretty small, especially if you live in a flat! (I say this lightly but you don't need a PhD to tell you that collection of pan and  passport numbers for Aadhaar application and storing them on a database on the internet without proper encryption and password protection is a recipe for theft of information and increased cyber-crime.) The small joys of the UPA's Rs. 50,000 crore flagship program!     

Last Indian Summer's Music Recco: Running Red - Kylesa