Nandan Nilkani has been defending the Unique Identity UID that he created and rightly so as his logic behind creating it is right that we need to have a single point identity system and a single ID card that should supersede all manners of identity documents we have at present.But rushing into making it compulsory and spending crores of public money to reach it to people without first rectifying the system which is to handle these IDs later in life is not a bright idea after all.
UID group should first spend their crores in amalagamating allthe data bases that are around, do extensive data search, rope in the campuses to help them to assess real time data of people, check the quality of the census data through data validation techniques like field intervention, sample studies and so forth. Once we are confident that there is genuine base level data of people, their occupations, their governance, etc., you can move into provide ID cards. Otherwise the system would be open for abuse.
1. The aam aadmi will have his card and lose all other identities and if the village sarpanch or mukya were to decide to take away his card he would lose his identity and his life
2. The middle class employee too has to face the same fate in case the offices decide to retain their cards for whatver reasons which can easily happen in the millions of small units where they wouldbe working. Taking the employers to court for UID reasons by an ordinary citizen is nearly an impossible exercise. Is UID system capable of acting as an ombudsman in such cases of dispute? Is there a mechanism in place for grievance redressal?
3. The kind of extensive technology support needed to identify the card and also check the fingerprint would pose greater difficulty and needless expenditure. Also who is going to ensure that there is no corruption in purchase of such equipment, the quality of the products being supplied and their maintenance?
4. without adequate awareness and mechanism for deterrance and redressal UID would end up being an albatross around the neck of people.
Here is what MINISTER OF STATE FOR PLANNING, PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS, SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY AND EARTH SCIENCES(Dr. ASHWANI KUMAR has in parliament. More details in www.uidai.gov.in
(a) The mandate of the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) is to issue Unique
Identification numbers (Aadhaar) to all the residents of India. ‘Aadhaar’ is a 12 digit random
number. It does not contain any intelligence. A set of mandatory, conditional and optional
demographic data such as name, date of birth, gender, name of parents, residential address and
biometric features such as photograph, all ten finger prints and iris images will together
establish and verify the identity of a resident. The Authority plans to cover 600 million people
within 4 years from the start of the project.
The Unique Identification programme was launched on 29th September, 2010 in Tembli village
of Nandurbar District in Maharashtra. Enrolments have been initiated in Andhra Pradesh,
Chhattisgarh, Delhi, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra,
Tripura and West Bengal. 16,50,897 Aadhaar numbers have been issued as on date.
(b) The total approved estimated cost of Phase-I and II of the project spread over five years
from Financial Year 2009-10 to 2013-14 is Rs.3,170.32 crore. The annual budget allocation and
actual expenditure for the Scheme are given below:
(Rupees in crore)
2009-10 120.00 (budget) Actual expenditure 26.21
Till January Rs 60 crore have been spent.
Friday, August 19, 2011
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
UID farce
One of the best ways to shut out opinion is to talk less about it, which the UID managers have successfully done. After launching high powered publicity and "awareness" campaign about the UID, now everyone has become silent. But this is worse. Earlier they were only talking now the experiment has already begun in right earnest.
The much awaited Card is in now in circulation and no social survey has been taken to see how it is impacting the society. Going by the way it is being distributed, one can easily see that the card is not a hot favourite of the educated urban elite nor is the middle class really concerned with it. But you can bet on the government coming up with some dictat saying only the UID and nothing else will work with its offices, banks, railways, airports and you would see everyone scurrying to the UID office.
The fact remains that the scheme that is likely to affect everyone in every way and some of the ways it can affect has not even been thought of yet (see the funny piece now in circulation below). My point is, why bother with his one at all and why make everyone be bound to a corrupt, inept bureaucracy? I think there should be a stronger protest against UID than even the corruption that we are fighting. There cant be anything worse and humiliating than losing one's freedom.
Nandan Nilekani's dream - how the national ID card will work...!
Operator : "Thank you for calling Pizza Hut . May I have your..."
Customer: "Helloo, can I order..?"
Operator : "Can I have your multi purpose ID card number first, Sir?"
Customer: "It is hold on..
889861356102049998-45-54610"
Operator : "OK... You're... Mr Singh and you're calling from 17 Jal Vayu.....Your home number is 2x26xxxx, your office 250xxxxx and your mobile is 09xxxxxxxx. Which number are you calling from now Sir?"
Customer: "From home! How did you get all my phone numbers?
Operator : "We are connected to the system Sir"
Customer: "May I order your Seafood Pizza..."
Operator : "That's not a good idea Sir"
Customer: "How come?"
Operator : "According to your medical records, you have high blood pressure and even higher cholesterol level Sir"
Customer: "What?... What do you recommend then?"
Operator : "Try our Low Fat Pizza. You'll like it"
Customer: "How do you know for sure?"
Operator : "You borrowed a book entitled "Popular Dishes" from the
National Library last week Sir"
Customer: "OK I give up... Give me three family size ones then, how
much will that cost?"
Operator : "That should be enough for your family of 05, Sir. The
total is Rs 500.00"
Customer: "Can I pay by! Credit card?"
Operator : "I'm afraid you have to pay us cash, Sir. Your credit card
is over the limit and you owe your bank Rs 23,000.75 since October
last year. That's not including the late payment charges on your
housing loan, Sir.."
Customer: "I guess I have to run to the neighbourhood ATM and withdraw some cash before your guy arrives"
Operator : "You can't Sir. Based on the records, you've reached your daily limit on machine withdrawal today"
Customer: "Never mind just send the pizzas, I'll have the cash ready.
How long is it gonna take anyway?"
Operator : "About 45 minutes Sir, but if you can't wait you can always come and collect it on your Nano Car..."
Customer: "What!"
Operator : "According to the details in system ,you own a Nano
car,...registration number GZ-05-AB-1107.."
Customer: " ?!!"
Operator : "Is there anything else Sir?"
Customer: "Nothing... By the way... Aren't you giving me that 3 free bottles of cola as advertised?"
Operator : "We normally would Sir, but based on your records you're
also diabetic....... "
Customer: #$$^%&$@$% ^
Operator : "Better watch your language Sir.. Remember on 15th July 2010 you were convicted of using abusive language to a policeman...?"
Customer: [Faints]
The much awaited Card is in now in circulation and no social survey has been taken to see how it is impacting the society. Going by the way it is being distributed, one can easily see that the card is not a hot favourite of the educated urban elite nor is the middle class really concerned with it. But you can bet on the government coming up with some dictat saying only the UID and nothing else will work with its offices, banks, railways, airports and you would see everyone scurrying to the UID office.
The fact remains that the scheme that is likely to affect everyone in every way and some of the ways it can affect has not even been thought of yet (see the funny piece now in circulation below). My point is, why bother with his one at all and why make everyone be bound to a corrupt, inept bureaucracy? I think there should be a stronger protest against UID than even the corruption that we are fighting. There cant be anything worse and humiliating than losing one's freedom.
Nandan Nilekani's dream - how the national ID card will work...!
Operator : "Thank you for calling Pizza Hut . May I have your..."
Customer: "Helloo, can I order..?"
Operator : "Can I have your multi purpose ID card number first, Sir?"
Customer: "It is hold on..
889861356102049998-45-54610"
Operator : "OK... You're... Mr Singh and you're calling from 17 Jal Vayu.....Your home number is 2x26xxxx, your office 250xxxxx and your mobile is 09xxxxxxxx. Which number are you calling from now Sir?"
Customer: "From home! How did you get all my phone numbers?
Operator : "We are connected to the system Sir"
Customer: "May I order your Seafood Pizza..."
Operator : "That's not a good idea Sir"
Customer: "How come?"
Operator : "According to your medical records, you have high blood pressure and even higher cholesterol level Sir"
Customer: "What?... What do you recommend then?"
Operator : "Try our Low Fat Pizza. You'll like it"
Customer: "How do you know for sure?"
Operator : "You borrowed a book entitled "Popular Dishes" from the
National Library last week Sir"
Customer: "OK I give up... Give me three family size ones then, how
much will that cost?"
Operator : "That should be enough for your family of 05, Sir. The
total is Rs 500.00"
Customer: "Can I pay by! Credit card?"
Operator : "I'm afraid you have to pay us cash, Sir. Your credit card
is over the limit and you owe your bank Rs 23,000.75 since October
last year. That's not including the late payment charges on your
housing loan, Sir.."
Customer: "I guess I have to run to the neighbourhood ATM and withdraw some cash before your guy arrives"
Operator : "You can't Sir. Based on the records, you've reached your daily limit on machine withdrawal today"
Customer: "Never mind just send the pizzas, I'll have the cash ready.
How long is it gonna take anyway?"
Operator : "About 45 minutes Sir, but if you can't wait you can always come and collect it on your Nano Car..."
Customer: "What!"
Operator : "According to the details in system ,you own a Nano
car,...registration number GZ-05-AB-1107.."
Customer: " ?!!"
Operator : "Is there anything else Sir?"
Customer: "Nothing... By the way... Aren't you giving me that 3 free bottles of cola as advertised?"
Operator : "We normally would Sir, but based on your records you're
also diabetic....... "
Customer: #$$^%&$@$% ^
Operator : "Better watch your language Sir.. Remember on 15th July 2010 you were convicted of using abusive language to a policeman...?"
Customer: [Faints]
Monday, March 15, 2010
Universal ID is a sham!
SCRAP UNIVERSAL ID SCHEME OF INDIA
There is no true national identity card in the United States of America, in the sense that there is no federal agency with nationwide jurisdiction that directly issues such cards to all American citizens. All legislative attempts to create one have failed due to tenacious opposition from liberal and conservative politicians alike, who regard the national identity card as the mark of a totalitarian society.[1]
In the absence of one, government agencies and businesses have had to improvise with a patchwork of documents, perceived by some to be somewhat inconvenient. In some states, there are stop and identify statutes which make it illegal to not properly verbally identify oneself to a law enforcement official.
Contents [hide]
1 Birth certificate
2 Social Security card
3 Driver's license
4 Passport
5 Department of Defense Identification Card
6 Other specialized cards
7 References
Excerpts from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Identity_documents_in_the_United_States
How come the voice of protest is feeble and almost nil in India about something that would go against all norms of privacy and expose every citizen to the whim of dozens of faceless babus? I am talking the Government of India's UIDAI (Universal ID Authority of India) scheme being entrusted to Nandan Nilkeni former CEO of Infosys, a large IT firm.
When a country is not ready even to protect its citizens from more than a dozen agencies and many scores of individuals being able to listen to every conversation you make on a public phone, read every e-mail you write, what confidence can anyone have that the information which is to be collated as part of the ambitious Universal ID plan will not be accessed by wrong people?
Besides, why should I, just because I am a citizen of India, should be forced to disclose every detail of my life, career, health, finance and all other details to the government? I thought in democracy one had right to choose the way we live so long it does not come in the way of anyone. I personally do not want any of my private information should be disclosed to persons whom I do not know or trust. Already we have quietly (or out of naivete or sheer foolishness) accepted the fact the finance ministry can gain access to our bank account details without any restriction and no bank can protect the secrecy of our bank account.
The ambitious plan for which Rs 1800 crore of our own money has been allocated in this budget lists some of the following as part of the information it would gather of your personal information and it is obvious all this would be available to many known and a lot of unknown entities and individuals of which we would have no control.
An Economic Times article written by a professor of IT lists the following as the possible areas the ID system would cover
Finally, the system must form the foundation for many identity proofs — passport, PAN, driving licence, voter identity card — and be able to keep the linkages intact and secure (ability to link all identity proofs, for example, all passports issued, all linked passports (spouse, children, parents), drivers licences issued at different places , voter identities issued.
Ultimately, the identity system must address all possible end uses of identity proof, for example, access to social benefits — pension, social security, subsidies, if any, and, insurance; right to vote, right to drive, right to drink, right to acquire property, right to job, help government to track — taxes, travel out of country, movements in case of bail, and, help citizens in getting services — bank account, BPL card, senior citizens benefits, health care, education.
(more)
13. What are the privacy implications of an ID card?In short, the implications are profound. The existence of a persons life story in a hundred unrelated databases is one important condition that protects privacy. The bringing together of these separate information centers creates a major privacy vulnerability. Any multi-purpose national ID card has this effect.
Some privacy advocates in the UK argue against ID cards on the basis of evidence from various security threat models in use throughout the private sector. In these models, it is generally assumed that at any one time, one per cent of staff will be willing to sell or trade confidential information for personal gain. In many European countries, up to one per cent of bank staff are dismissed each year, often because of theft.
The evidence for this potential corruption is compelling. Recent inquiries in Australia, 18 Canada 19 and the United States 20 indicate that widespread abuse of computerized information is occurring. Corruption amongst information users inside and outside the government in New South Wales had become endemic and epidemic. Virtually all instances of privacy violation related to computer records.
Data Protection law is wholly inadequate to deal with the use of ID cards. Indeed legislation in most countries facilitates the use of ID cards, while doing little or nothing to limit the spectrum of its uses or the accumulation of data on the card or its related systems. source: privacy international FAQ www.privacyinternational.org
Did you know that besides US, France, Australia, New Zealand among other countries have fought tooth and nail against introduction of such a card?
I think we need a major national debate before the universal ID scheme is thrust down the throat of every citizen. By sitting as a meek bystander and watch the IT honchos work on their glitzy card which would help make available your private information into the greasy hands of the corrupt should be stopped right now. There are enough ID cards at present.
Every person who has crossed 18 years of age can acquire his voter ID and let us strengthen this form identification and it will at least have the purpose of bringing more people into the mainstream politics and bring a better democracy than one which is at present administered by patch work governments having no majority who can blatantly push in such schemes without understanding the future implications of what they would be creating in the country.
Our only hope of course (which has never failed us) is the same inefficient corrupt system will delay Nilkeni's project endlessly and finally the next government which comes may scrap the scheme. Never mind the crores spent in between and the reams of data collected which may end with a call centre for their use--misuse?
If you are concerned, I am sure you should be make your opinions heard.
There is no true national identity card in the United States of America, in the sense that there is no federal agency with nationwide jurisdiction that directly issues such cards to all American citizens. All legislative attempts to create one have failed due to tenacious opposition from liberal and conservative politicians alike, who regard the national identity card as the mark of a totalitarian society.[1]
In the absence of one, government agencies and businesses have had to improvise with a patchwork of documents, perceived by some to be somewhat inconvenient. In some states, there are stop and identify statutes which make it illegal to not properly verbally identify oneself to a law enforcement official.
Contents [hide]
1 Birth certificate
2 Social Security card
3 Driver's license
4 Passport
5 Department of Defense Identification Card
6 Other specialized cards
7 References
Excerpts from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Identity_documents_in_the_United_States
How come the voice of protest is feeble and almost nil in India about something that would go against all norms of privacy and expose every citizen to the whim of dozens of faceless babus? I am talking the Government of India's UIDAI (Universal ID Authority of India) scheme being entrusted to Nandan Nilkeni former CEO of Infosys, a large IT firm.
When a country is not ready even to protect its citizens from more than a dozen agencies and many scores of individuals being able to listen to every conversation you make on a public phone, read every e-mail you write, what confidence can anyone have that the information which is to be collated as part of the ambitious Universal ID plan will not be accessed by wrong people?
Besides, why should I, just because I am a citizen of India, should be forced to disclose every detail of my life, career, health, finance and all other details to the government? I thought in democracy one had right to choose the way we live so long it does not come in the way of anyone. I personally do not want any of my private information should be disclosed to persons whom I do not know or trust. Already we have quietly (or out of naivete or sheer foolishness) accepted the fact the finance ministry can gain access to our bank account details without any restriction and no bank can protect the secrecy of our bank account.
The ambitious plan for which Rs 1800 crore of our own money has been allocated in this budget lists some of the following as part of the information it would gather of your personal information and it is obvious all this would be available to many known and a lot of unknown entities and individuals of which we would have no control.
An Economic Times article written by a professor of IT lists the following as the possible areas the ID system would cover
Finally, the system must form the foundation for many identity proofs — passport, PAN, driving licence, voter identity card — and be able to keep the linkages intact and secure (ability to link all identity proofs, for example, all passports issued, all linked passports (spouse, children, parents), drivers licences issued at different places , voter identities issued.
Ultimately, the identity system must address all possible end uses of identity proof, for example, access to social benefits — pension, social security, subsidies, if any, and, insurance; right to vote, right to drive, right to drink, right to acquire property, right to job, help government to track — taxes, travel out of country, movements in case of bail, and, help citizens in getting services — bank account, BPL card, senior citizens benefits, health care, education.
(more)
13. What are the privacy implications of an ID card?In short, the implications are profound. The existence of a persons life story in a hundred unrelated databases is one important condition that protects privacy. The bringing together of these separate information centers creates a major privacy vulnerability. Any multi-purpose national ID card has this effect.
Some privacy advocates in the UK argue against ID cards on the basis of evidence from various security threat models in use throughout the private sector. In these models, it is generally assumed that at any one time, one per cent of staff will be willing to sell or trade confidential information for personal gain. In many European countries, up to one per cent of bank staff are dismissed each year, often because of theft.
The evidence for this potential corruption is compelling. Recent inquiries in Australia, 18 Canada 19 and the United States 20 indicate that widespread abuse of computerized information is occurring. Corruption amongst information users inside and outside the government in New South Wales had become endemic and epidemic. Virtually all instances of privacy violation related to computer records.
Data Protection law is wholly inadequate to deal with the use of ID cards. Indeed legislation in most countries facilitates the use of ID cards, while doing little or nothing to limit the spectrum of its uses or the accumulation of data on the card or its related systems. source: privacy international FAQ www.privacyinternational.org
Did you know that besides US, France, Australia, New Zealand among other countries have fought tooth and nail against introduction of such a card?
I think we need a major national debate before the universal ID scheme is thrust down the throat of every citizen. By sitting as a meek bystander and watch the IT honchos work on their glitzy card which would help make available your private information into the greasy hands of the corrupt should be stopped right now. There are enough ID cards at present.
Every person who has crossed 18 years of age can acquire his voter ID and let us strengthen this form identification and it will at least have the purpose of bringing more people into the mainstream politics and bring a better democracy than one which is at present administered by patch work governments having no majority who can blatantly push in such schemes without understanding the future implications of what they would be creating in the country.
Our only hope of course (which has never failed us) is the same inefficient corrupt system will delay Nilkeni's project endlessly and finally the next government which comes may scrap the scheme. Never mind the crores spent in between and the reams of data collected which may end with a call centre for their use--misuse?
If you are concerned, I am sure you should be make your opinions heard.
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