A unique identification number, or Aadhaar, may soon be enough for a person to get a new mobile connection or to open a bank account.A few months ago the Times of India reported that the UIDAI had been rebadged with a new name and logo, no doubt useful for marketing but arguably less of a priority than urgent development of a coherent national privacy regime.
The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI), the apex agency managing the UID project, which aims to give every resident of the country a unique identity, has initiated the process to make this happen, according to Chairman Nandan Nilekani.
To make people realise the importance of having a UID, the authority is in talks with the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) and Trai to make Aadhaar numbers sufficient for getting new mobile connections.
“We are negotiating with DoT and Trai on making the Aadhaar number sufficient for getting a mobile phone connection. Presently, a person who wants a new SIM card goes to a retail outlet and he has to do some paper works, other than submitting all necessary proofs. If he has an Aadhaar number, that entire process can be done electronically,” Nilekani said today, while addressing income tax officers on ‘Revitalisation of Public Service’ here.
He said the authority was also talking to the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), the finance ministry and Indian Bankers’ Association (IBA) to allow Aadhaar numbers as sufficient proof for their know-your-customer (KYC) procedure to open no-frills bank accounts.
The report indicated that -
The government's ambitious unique identity project aiming to give a 16-digit number to all citizens of the country was on Monday renamed 'AADHAAR' and its new logo unveiled.Earlier this month Nilekani responded to the question 'What is this number really going to verify? What would it mean for me when I have it?' by claiming -
The Unique Identification Number project of the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) chaired by IT czar Nandan Nilekani was renamed 'AADHAAR' (foundation) as part of efforts to reach out to the common man.
"UID itself is very confusing. Some people call it DUI, somebody calls it IUD and so forth. So it was getting a little difficult to explain all this various permutations, combinations of this acronym," Nilekani said.
"Therefore, we wanted a name that could effectively communicate its transformational potential and its promise to residents. Something that had a national appeal that could be recognised across the country, could resonate in different languages and easy to remember and speak," he said.
He said the same standard was also set for the making of the logo. The new logo, with a sun in yellow and a fingerprint in the centre, was also made public at a seminar organised by the UIDAI here. ...
Nilekani said the project was aimed at the under privileged and the poor who are left out of the government's social schemes because of lack of identity proof.
R Chandra Shekhar, Secretary, Department of Information Technology, said, " AADHAAR is the first identity project which is aiming at the poor and marginalised. Earlier all such schemes use to cater only to security but AADHAAR caters to both."
Fundamentally, it is great value for money because if you are able to give every Indian a number, it is not just about giving a number, it is about giving them an identity, it is giving them an acknowledgement of their existence by the state and that is really the main thing and it has huge social benefits.On the UIDAI site Nilekani explains that -
You just think of it as your mobile identity. Think of it like the mobile phone versus the landline. When we had a landline, you were fixed to a particular location. If I had to reach you, I have to know you are at home or in office. Now when I call you on your mobile, I do not care where you are. Your mobile number goes with you. So this is also a form of mobile identity, it travels with you and wherever you are we can verify about a person’s identity.
"The name Aadhaar communicates the fundamental role of the number issued by the UIDAI - the number as a universal identity infrastructure, a foundation over which public and private agencies can build services and applications that benefit residents across India."The Aadhaar, like the UIDAI - still without a privacy statute and indeed operating under an executive direction rather than discrete statute - is reminiscent of one of those frenetic telesales advertisements. It dices, it slices, it abolishes poverty, eliminates corruption, it's guaranteed (omit the fine print) and - oops - make privacy go away.
Aadhaar's guarantee of uniqueness and centralised, online identity verification would be the basis for building these multiple services and applications, and facilitating greater connectivity to markets
Aadhaar would also give any resident the ability to access these services and resources, anytime, anywhere in the country
Aadhaar can for example, provide the identity infrastructure for ensuring financial inclusion across the country – banks can link the unique number to a bank account for every resident, and use the online identity authentication to allow residents to access the account from anywhere in the country
Aadhaar would also be a foundation for the effective enforcement of individual rights. A clear registration and recognition of the individual's identity with the state is necessary to implement their rights –to employment, education, food, etc. The number, by ensuring such registration and recognition of individuals, would help the state deliver these rights.
