Unique Ids For Indians Boon Or Bane For The Citizens?

Central Government and State Governments have been launching various Unique IDs to bring transparency and curb leakages in the system. The government has been consolidating initiatives and attempting to bring additional schemes under the Aadhaar umbrella. According to an analysis of ministry-level data, 312 initiatives were connected to Aadhaar. Twenty of these belonged to the Ministry of Labour and Employment, while 41 belonged to the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare. 70% of linked schemes were accounted for by ten ministries. The above list excludes state-sponsored schemes.

Before We Begin Lets Understand The Unique Ids In India

What Are The Unique Ids Launched By The Central Government?

• AADHAAR: It is a 12-digit random number issued by the UIDAI (“Authority”) to the residents of India after satisfying the verification process laid down by the Authority. Around 312 schemes were linked to Aadhaar, and ten ministries accounted for 70% of linked schemes.
• PAN CARD: PAN is an abbreviation of Permanent Account Number. It is an alphanumeric, 10-digit unique number issued to every taxpayer by the Income Tax Department of India.
• Other Unique IDs : Voter ID for election, unique health ID for vaccination and health-related data, a unique ID for persons with disabilities, a unique ID for property across 12 states, a corporate ID for each company and one unique ID for migrant workers.

What Are The Unique Ids Launched By The State Governments?

• Haryana government has launched the PARIVAR PEHCHAN PATRA SCHEME. The scheme will accord a unique eight-digit ID to each family and link all state government schemes on subsidy, pension and insurance.
• BHAMASHAH YOJANA is a scheme introduced by the Government of Rajasthan to transfer financial and non-financial benefits of governmental schemes directly to women recipients in a transparent way.
• MADHYA PRADESH PROVIDES SAMAGRA IDS and passwords for its residents to register themselves and avail themselves the government benefits.
  Aadhaar was expected to encompass everything, but given security and privacy protocols, it hasn’t achieved that. A person has a PAN number for tax purposes, a voter ID for election, and a unique health ID for vaccination and health-related data. Besides, there is a driving license and bank account number. This is besides the mobile phone number.

Sypnosis
The UNIQUE IDENTIFICATION PROGRAM is the first step towards creating the infrastructure for e-Government services in India. The goal should be no less than aiming to be in the top 10 countries on the UN e-Government readiness index which will have a positive effect on not only the economy but also on human development in India. The core task for the Unique Identification Authority of India is to assign a unique identification number to each resident in the country and to eliminate the need for multiple identification mechanisms. This unique number will be the basis for a positive and accurate identification of citizens on which e-Governance platforms and services can be built around.
• The Narendra Modi administration has said in the past that it saved Rs 6,250 on every fake ration cardholder it eliminated after Aadhar-based verification followed by direct cash transfers into bank accounts. This, according to the government, would save the country Rs 100 billion every year.

• Linking of AADHAR Cards with Voters Identity Cards in all states of the nation can also save a very big amount of Government Funds including wastage of stationery and manpower used in the manual revision of electoral rolls. This will benefit all the citizens of India who are harassed by maintaining different identity cards viz. PAN Card, AADHAR CARD, VOTERS IDENTITY CARD, RATION CARD, SOCIAL SECURITY CARD etc. with different offices either of State Government or Government of India.

• Shri Narendra Modi launched the indigenously- developed National Common Mobility Card (NCMC) based on One Nation One Card Model. This will allow users to pay charges across multiple kinds of transport including metros and other transport systems across the country. These are bank-issued cards on Debit/Credit/Prepaid card product platform.

• Now there should be a slogan like “One Nation – One Identity Card” and the Government of India should implement it with immediate effect. Not a single political party will oppose this Amendment Bill and it will surely pass in Lok Sabha as well as in Rajya Sabha in its first attempt.

• Citizens of India are waiting for “One Nation- One Identity Card” under Digital India Mission. Narendra Modi Government will act on it speedily in its upcoming Parliament session and amend the Representative of Peoples Act, 1951 to link AADHAR with Voters ID with legal backing.