UIDAI - Cashing in on Ignorance

 

UIDAI seems to be cashing in on ignorance of people in pushing through the UID scheme. Most people are not aware about what the scheme is or does. They have some vague ideas and associate it as useful largely because of the media-created image of the UIDAI chairperson as a  successful IT honcho, who could neither do any wrong nor could be mistaken. 

 

There is a certain deceit inherent in the promotion of the UID scheme as a pro-poor initiative. The idea of a national ID card originated with the recommendations of the Kargil Committee, which thought that it would prevent illegal immigrants. An ID card scheme was tried in a few coastal areas with mixed results and appears to have been abandoned. Even so, UIDAI has never referred to the use of UID for purposes other than welfare schemes. UIDAI takes the plea that "service providers" may use UID for other purposes. UIDAI is not concerned with such use of UID. This is a specious stance. The intention of both government and UIDAI is clear; sell UID as a pro-poor initiative and later use it for any other purpose that catches their fancy. This methodology would not meet with resistance it otherwise would have. People have seen through this game plan and hence, the opposition to UID. 

 

Another proof of cashing in on people' ignorance, is enrolling agencies making the poor and illiterate people believe that UID would get them benefits, such increased rations, bank accounts, loans etc. This is similar to "Blade" companies, cheating people with promise of immediate wealth and extremely high interest rates for investments. 

 

Even technically qualified people fall prey for various ploys that UIDAI uses. Many 'trechies' believe that UID would actually ensure delivery of welfare benefits to the poor. They take as gospel truth that fingerprints and iris scans are excellent identity tools. A quote from 'The Economist' of 1 Oct 2010, is relevant. It says, "THANKS to gangster movies, cop shows and spy thrillers, people have come to think of fingerprints and other biometric means of identifying evildoers as being completely foolproof. In reality, they are not and never have been, and few engineers who design such screening tools have ever claimed them to be so. Yet the myth has persisted among the public at large and officialdom in particular. In the process, it has led—especially since the terrorist attacks of September 11th 2001—to a great deal of public money being squandered and, worse, to the fostering of a sense of security that is largely misplaced".