"It is often difficult for people in India to remember life before Aadhaar. The digital biometric ID, allegedly available for every Indian citizen, was only introduced 15 years ago but its presence in daily life is ubiquitous. Indians now need an Aadhaar number to buy a house, get a job, open a bank account, pay their tax, receive benefits, buy a car, get a sim card, book priority train tickets and admit children into school."
"For Umesh Patel, 47, a textile business owner in the city of Ahmedabad, Aadhaar has brought nothing but relief. He recalls the old days of bringing reams of paper to every official office, just to prove his ID and confusion often still reigned. Now he simply flashes his Aadhaar and everything is streamlined, he said, describing it as a marker of how our country is using technology for the benefit of its citizens."
"Yet digital rights groups, activists and humanitarian groups paint a less rosy picture of Aadhaar and its implications for Indian society. For some of the poorest and least educated in India whose lack of literacy, education or documents have left them unable to get an Aadhaar the scheme has been highly exclusionary and therefore punitive, depriving some of those who need it most from being able to receive welfare or work."
Aadhaar, a biometric digital ID introduced 15 years ago, has become ubiquitous across everyday life in India and is often required for housing, employment, banking, taxation, benefits, vehicle purchases, SIM cards, train bookings, and school admissions. Enrollment can occur soon after birth, and many users report streamlined procedures and reduced document fraud. However, some of the poorest and least educated people lack the literacy or documentation to obtain Aadhaar, resulting in exclusion from welfare and work. Proposals to link Aadhaar to voting and citizenship have raised fears of further disenfranchisement and misuse.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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